Bars in Marseille will remain closed for at least a month -

Fabien Dupoux / SIPA

  • The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône has extended the closure of bars and restaurants for two weeks in Aix and Marseille.

  • For professionals in the sector, the outlook for the future is blurry and scary.

  • “We could only reopen for a month and a half,” recalls one of them.

Laurent Lieutaud's throat suddenly tightens.

The boss of the Red Lion, a very popular pub in the eighth arrondissement of Marseille, cannot contain his tears.

"I see the head of my employees when it was necessary to tell them that we were going to resort to partial unemployment again," he stammers as if to apologize.

I see their faces again and it touches me.

"

Since September 23, bars in Marseille have been forced to close their doors, due to the coronavirus health crisis affecting France.

And this ban will be in force for at least one month, until October 27, in accordance with the new prefectural decree taken this Saturday.

Either the longest closure on the entire national territory, for a period which remains undetermined.

"We were able to reopen for a month and a half, that's not much"

“With discos, we pay the heaviest price, compared to other cities, blows Laurent Lieutaud.

In total, we still closed for nearly six months, with confinement.

This summer, we were only able to reopen for a month and a half.

This is little.

Can someone explain to me why we are closing bars and continuing to open supermarkets where people are crowded?

It is illogical!

Today, I am in the dark.

We morfle.

"

Marseille and Aix bars are in fact the last in the hotel and restaurant sector to have to close their doors in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence.

For the past week, after several days of confusion and confusion, establishments serving alcohol and equipped with a brasserie-type kitchen have been authorized to reopen their doors, in the same way and in the same conditions as restaurants.

"My life has stopped"

“Is this distinction fair?

Obviously it is not fair ”, recognizes Manuel Mendez, owner of several establishments in Marseille including the Longchamp Palace brewery in the city center, and vice-president of the union of trades and industry. hotels (Umih) of Bouches-du-Rhône.

And to add: "The question is not there.

This is the principle of a restriction, you need a limit that does not suit everyone.

The real question is in the assumption of responsibility, and me, I find that one is rather well supported by the State with the loans and the assistance.

For my part, I lost 60% of my activity at Longchamp Palace!

"

Although a partner of another Red Lion in the city center which, for his part, remains open because of its catering activity, Laurent Lieutaud for his part struggles to see the future with optimism, after having lost, according to him, "several hundred thousands of euros ”.

"State aid is not sufficient," he believes.

During confinement, we were told that everything was frozen, the rents… And there, nada.

Even when the pub is closed I have to put out tens of thousands of dollars, in rents, bills, taxes.

So even if we reopen one day, how are we going to do?

I can no longer afford to lose money.

"

And to confide with a certain anguish: “This pub is 24 years of work.

It's my whole life.

I bled myself.

I sacrificed my youth.

And today I am afraid.

I do not sleep anymore.

I have anxieties.

Anxiety takes over.

I am building my house and I had to stop the work.

For weeks, my life has stopped, and I do not know where we are going.

"

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  • Coronavirus

  • Marseilles

  • Closing

  • Bar