Operator of an ephemeral terrace of five tables and ten chairs installed in front of his café, Guillaume Wlache, owner of Seize (3rd arrondissement of Paris) for three years, decided in early October to have a Plexiglas roof installed above this small space saved on motorcycle parking spaces.
Anxious, he says, to "beautify the street without invading public space", he also installed a light garland that runs behind the seats.
“Offering customers a terrace that is neither heated, nor lit, nor protected when winter arrives, does not seem appropriate to me,” explains Guillaume Wlache, who ensures “to make 90% of his turnover” on this outdoor location.
Except that the owner of this bistro located in the Marais, signed the municipal charter of ephemeral terraces by which he undertakes in particular to "not install any advertising, heating, air conditioning, misting device and any other electrical installation ”.
A text still in force since this device graciously put in place by the City to help coffee makers, very affected by the economic consequences of the coronavirus epidemic, has been extended until June 2021.
The City remains firm
Without drawing up a report, three City agents came on Monday "to ask me courteously to dismantle the structure, the roof, to replace it with parasols and to remove the lights by next Monday", testifies the person in charge. of the Sixteenth.
Ephemeral terrace rue de Bretagne (3rd).
Parasols are allowed.
LP / Philippe Baverel
The request he sent by email to Dorine Bregman, deputy mayor of Paris center in charge of trade, resulted in a reminder to the charter which provides that "the ground device must be mobile and easily removable" and proscribed “Covered roofs other than parasols or removable umbrellas”.
The email ends with this warning: "Any other device would expose you to future verbalizations in the event of an inspection".
Fines of up to 500 euros
At the Hôtel de Ville, we observe that "the vast majority of the 9,500 cafeteria-restaurateurs authorized to operate an ephemeral terrace (out of a total of 14,871 establishments in Paris) comply with the charter".
While recalling that "the objective is first of all to do pedagogy before sanctioning if necessary", the municipality indicates that "reports were drawn up, with fines of which the amount goes from 135 euros to 500 euros ”, without being able to specify the number.
And adds that "several ephemeral terraces have been removed, including two at McDonald's".
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President of the Paris café-brasseries at the National Group of Independents (GNI) of the hotel and catering industry, Marcel Bénézet calls on professionals to "scrupulously respect the charter established and signed with the Paris town hall".
And expresses its "gratitude to the City which, in the current economic context, generously offers us these ephemeral terraces".
Inviting its members to "respect the residents".
He concludes: "We must punish the bad students and encourage the good".
"Do not spit in the soup"
Manager for twenty-three years of the brewery Le Progrès, rue de Bretagne (3rd), Didier Bouyssou, whose "turnover since the entry into force of the curfew is down 40 to 50%", does not say nothing else: “The ephemeral terraces, for us, they are blessed bread!
Obviously, as long as the weather is nice, that's a plus.
When it gets cold, it will be more complicated.
But I'm not going to spit in the soup, especially since consuming outdoors carries less risk from a health point of view.
Of course, you have to respect the charter and not do anything.
It's like on a motorway: if the speed is limited to 130 km / h, you are not driving at 160! ”
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It remains to be seen whether just as many customers will flock to the terraces, even ephemeral ones, when the temperatures are cooler.