The answering machine of his telephone, on which he usually takes reservations, announces in a sad voice: “From this evening, August 10, the restaurant will be closed permanently for the season.
I am sorry.
Christophe Pouil, the boss of the Ovalie Beach club, did not expect it.
For 27 years, his restaurant has been open every summer on the beach at Torreilles (Pyrénées-Orientales).
But this year, the Covid changed everything: "My night porter tested positive, all my employees and I are in contact: no one can come back to work for ten days!"
"
A reopening would be possible on August 21 but, in high season, things are bad.
Especially since Christophe must start to dismantle his hut at the beginning of September to leave the beach on October 1 (as provided by law for this type of establishment).
“If I reopen at the end of August for just a few days, it's not worth it,” he regrets.
We miss an essential part of the season.
In addition, from August 30, all catering employees must be vaccinated and most of my servers are not ... Many are students on fixed-term contracts for the season.
"
To read also "We can find ourselves facing a wave of closures": the sanitary pass, puzzle for restaurants
Deprived of these 12 employees, the restaurant owner has therefore chosen not to “restart the machine”. “I weighed the pros and cons, did all the math, but I made my decision. I'm usually the first to open on the beach and the last to leave, but it won't be possible to come back, it's a mess. "Nevertheless, insists Christophe," all employees will still be paid for the entire season. "
