Busy in the back of his kitchen cutting a Bayonne ham, François, or rather Fanfan "
as everyone [l] 'calls here
", sketches a surprised pout when he learns that the doggy bag has become compulsory. Thursday, for all customers who do not finish their plate.
Aged 64, including 42 at the head of his restaurant serving Southwestern products, Jambon 007, he assumes "
totally unaware that it was becoming mandatory
".
A measure that does not change much according to him: "
people eat everything here,
he says very seriously
," I do a maximum of one per month
.
To read also: In lack of manpower, the restoration must find new recipes to recruit
Until recently, it was “
strongly recommended
” for restaurateurs to offer their customers reusable or recyclable containers so that they can take their leftovers after the meal.
The deputies finally decided to make it an obligation enshrined in the law to fight against food waste.
According to a study by Ademe, the consumer is responsible for 33% of the amount of food wasted throughout the chain, from production to the plate.
This is what prompted action to curb this deadweight loss.
A measure that may benefit some
If no one seems to question the usefulness of the doggy bag, its obligation is not always well understood. At the head of the Vibrato brasserie, which faces the Hall Aux Grains, the hall which hosts the Capitol orchestra, Anthony 35, judges the measure "
stupid
"
.
“
We're smart enough to understand when it's necessary,
” he says. If he finds the idea of keeping leftovers interesting, he specifies that it is not suitable for all situations. "We
have a clientele of regulars, who come there for lunch and return to work,
explains Anthony.
. They cannot necessarily keep food in good condition. We sometimes suggest that they store them in our fridges in the afternoon, so that they can come and recover after work, but two-thirds of the time they forget
”. For him, “
the law is not going to change anything.
Moreover, the waiters do not seem to systematically ask the customers seated at the table if they wish to recover what has not been eaten.
A rare manager aware of the new measure, Vincent, 44, has owned the Cantine du Grand Rond for two years.
Even if he likes the idea, he fears that things will not change: “
there is a lack of habit here, sometimes we propose and people refuse
”.
If he hopes for awareness, he is convinced "
it will not become commonplace, unlike in the United States
".
Because the French, unlike the Americans, "are
keen to make plates on a human scale
", he clarifies.
Read also: Catering: the entire sector on the bridge to reopen the terraces
On the terrace, however, some customers recognize that the obligation to offer a doggy bag could be useful. This is the case of Jérôme 48 years old, seated on a table in the shade of a plane tree and who calmly listens to the waitress read him the menu. At his feet, his guide dog Olaf, a golden retriever who does not move an ear. "
I dare not ask, perhaps out of shyness," he
admits
. I would prefer that it be offered to me
”. This new legislation will therefore surely make some happy.