Faced with the Covid, solidarity is being organized.
Since the beginning of the year, a few restaurants have been opened again at lunchtime to welcome professionals forced to work outdoors, including those in the building and public works sectors.
Thanks to a derogatory system, these establishments can thus offer them a place for lunch.
However, the device is struggling to expand, restaurant owners fearing to suffer the other side of the coin.
Read also: These restaurants that welcome customers despite their administrative closure
Because by receiving clients, they take the risk of depriving themselves of certain aid allocated to establishments administratively closed because of the health crisis, in particular access to the solidarity fund.
The latter provides for up to 10,000 euros or compensation of 20% of monthly turnover up to a limit of 200,000 euros per month in the event of total closure.
However, even open establishments can benefit from a maximum aid of 15,000 euros or compensation of 15% of their monthly turnover, only if they register a decrease of at least 50% of their turnover. 'business.
Fearing to exceed this figure and having to forgo other aid, restaurant owners are therefore reluctant to welcome customers again.
A situation deplored by Gérard Gautier, president of the Chamber of Trades and Crafts.
“The restaurant owner will find himself penalized when, if he reopens, it is not in order to earn money but out of solidarity,” he
argues.
He also denounces the fact that the turnover generated by these openings by exemption is not considered in the same way as that from take-away and distance selling.
The restaurants which have implemented it do not have to declare this income in the turnover taken into account for the calculation of their aid as announced by Bruno Le Maire on January 14th.
Upcoming negotiations
“We were not aware of this risk. If that had been the case, we would have warned the restaurant owners and I can guarantee you that they would not have remained open, ”
pleads Gérard Gautier, who fears that this will slow down the expansion of this device.
Set up for the first time in the Creuse, it currently concerns nearly a thousand restaurants spread over ten departments, including the Loiret and its instigators would like to see it develop throughout the territory.
The Union of trades in industry and hospitality (Umih) is one of them.
Hubert Jan, president of Umih restauration, was also alerted by the concerns of restaurateurs.
In his department, Finistère, of the 2,500 restaurants, only three have agreed to reopen their establishment between noon and two.
"
If it's to make a meager turnover and lose aid, that makes them think," he
sighs.
Read also: Solidarity fund: Bruno Le Maire announces three changes to the aid system
But Hubert Jan assures him: negotiations will be conducted with the Ministry of the Economy.
“Things have to be put in place and then we will discuss with Bercy to obtain access to this aid.
We will, in particular, try to negotiate so that the turnover generated is not taken into account in the calculation of aid, ”he
explains to
Le Figaro
.
Angry, Gérard Gautier also tried to alert the government by expressing his dismay to the prefecture of Loiret.
Although
"angry"
, he
"had high hopes to be heard"
.
Rightly so, since the matter quickly reached the ears of the Minister for Industry.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher confirmed on Tuesday that
"the government will ensure that establishments benefit from the same aid as other restaurants which are still closed, namely the partial activity covered at 100%, exemptions from social charges and access to the solidarity fund ”
.
Something to reassure the profession and offer workers new places to have lunch.
