"
Hello, La Terrasse des Métiers?" Yes we will be open tomorrow, but we are not taking reservations ... It's complicated, with health restrictions ... See you tomorrow!
Emmanuel Fabre's phone rings literally every five minutes. We are on the eve of the reopening of bars and restaurants - or at least their terraces - and customers are trying in extremis to secure a table to take advantage of this liberating moment. "
Some even try to reserve a table for 4 or 5 p.m., that is to say not at all for a meal but to be sure of having a place in advance at happy hour
", smiles the co-manager of La Terrasse. of Trades, Emmanuel Fabre.
Read also: Restaurants, bars: the government publishes the health protocol which will be in force from May 19
But in terms of organization, it was impossible for the restaurant to take all the reservations, hour by hour.
There is already so much to do.
We had to sweep and prepare the terrace, which will only be able to accommodate customers up to 50% of its total capacity from May 19 until June 9.
Approximately 60 place settings will therefore be set up in this space delimited by planters and located on a large square in gray tiles, in the heart of a group of offices.
Get back into the rhythm
The managers could have nibbled more space in this square to set up more tables.
But that would have meant even more demanding service for the five servers at the independent restaurant.
Emmanuel Fabre points to the patio, and the three small steps leading to the terrace: “
a service here is sporty.
Servers browse an average of 12 to 15 kiosks per day as part of their work.
So, extend the terrace ...
"
For several months, all the tables and chairs on the restaurant terrace had been stored inside.
Le Figaro
The servers, moreover, fear that the warming-up will be harsh: the day before, Monday, they were called to participate in the big cleaning: sweeping, washing the floors, polishing the counters.
It took about eight hours.
"
I have some aches,"
smiles Angélique, who is one of the establishment's five servers.
But we all can't wait to get back on track after this long period without work.
We just need a little warming up.
"
Read also: Ten tables to celebrate the reopening of restaurants in France
This Tuesday, the kitchens are running at full speed.
Orders were placed with suppliers the week before, in advance.
Other restaurateurs waited until the last moment to order their raw materials, for fear of inclement weather in particular.
Enough to put pressure on the entire logistics chain, in slow motion for months.
This tension is felt in the rhythm of deliveries, but the Terrasse des Métiers team can be reassured: on the eve of the resumption, "
90% of the dishes offered will be ready
", assures the chef, Pascal Olivier, who finishes detail zucchini.
"
And then, if one or two dishes on the menu are missing, customers will not hold it against us
", we believe in the kitchen.
So we focus on the essentials.
Sirloin steaks will look good on the slate.
At their side, essential, fries: “
this is what all our customers want from us,”
assures Emmanuel Fabre.
It's not something they cook at home.
»They will also accompany the homemade quiche.
It is the co-manager of the establishment, Vanessa Lainé, who is detailing and rinsing them.
A kitchen employee is indeed in contact, and could not join in the preparations.
A cook being a contact case, the co-manager of the establishment, Vanessa Lainé, lends a helping hand in the kitchen.
Le Figaro
With her hands immersed in the water bath of the sliced potatoes today, Vanessa Lainé will be at the counter tomorrow to pilot the shot.
Finally, she will have the relief to see money again entering the coffers, after weeks of famine.
“
Due to our high costs and despite partial unemployment and the solidarity fund, we had to take out a new loan
,” explains Vanessa Lainé.
The problem is that after such a long closure, we expected to no longer be subject to health constraints ... And yet, they are still there.
"
A profitability issue
The co-managers put up “
NO COUNTERS DURING THE HEALTH PROTOCOL
”
posters
for customers who would like to have a cup of espresso before heading to work.
Catering professionals know it, it will be necessary to explain again, repeat the rules.
“
Often, clients think that we are the ones who impose them,”
sighs Emmanuel Fabre.
But it's not our fault!
For the restaurant, going without the counter will also be a loss because, put end to end, all the coffees served - at 7 am for the first workers, and around 8 am for the executives - represent a significant turnover.
Read also: Reopening of bars and restaurants: the answers to your questions
Weather, attendance, impact of health restrictions: many unknowns still weigh on this recovery and give rise, in the voice of the co-managers, a touch of anxiety. The restaurant's co-manager telephoned managers in neighboring businesses to make sure that employees would soon give up teleworking. "
We will do everything to make the reunion as beautiful as possible
," says Emmanuel Fabre, standing between the delivery boxes and the crates of cold drinks scattered in the hallway leading to the kitchen.
But financially, we are going through a very difficult time. We will not be able to afford a new closure.
"