With ephemeral terraces, is wood one of the winners of the crisis?

A bar in Paris, October 3, 2020. -

• The Covid-19 health crisis has affected many sectors of the French economy.

  20 Minutes

  presents companies and craftsmen who, despite the confinement and the difficulties linked to the epidemic, have seen their activity grow or even explode.

• In Paris, there are currently more than 9,200 ephemeral cafes or restaurant terraces made up mainly of wood.

• Woodworking professionals and carpenters increasingly offer their services to establishments in the capital.

• With the deployment of “Covid terraces” the wood industry is not experiencing the crisis.

  "If we have lost 40% of activity during the crisis and the confinement, currently we are between 105 and 110%", indicates the National Federation of Wood.

They have flourished on every street corner and are now part of the new landscape of Paris.

What?

Ephemeral terraces installed in places usually reserved for parking vehicles.

Solicited by

, the Paris town hall, which extended the device until June 2021, currently counts more than 9,200.

“A precious help” according to catering professionals hard hit by the coronavirus crisis, the spring containment and recent restrictions.

First assembled with the means at hand and a few pallets found on the right and left and sometimes dressed in fake grass, some terraces have over time refined, sharpened, to be perfectly aligned with the sidewalk.

And for good reason.

Wood professionals are more and more in charge of what they call "Covid terraces".

"It does work and it makes people happy"

"This work does us good in relation to the health and economic situation", admits Laurent.

For several months, this carpenter based in Perreux-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne) has not been unemployed.

As soon as he left the confinement and a few days after the announcements from the Paris city hall concerning this system of ephemeral terraces, this Aveyronnais was contacted by Jean-Michel, boss of the Le Parisien brewery located rue du Four in the 6th arrondissement.

The latter wants an ephemeral wooden terrace to accommodate customers outside.

Laurent tumbles and sets up a turnkey terrace in a few hours at a delivery place.

A novelty for this carpenter rather specialist in doors, windows or partitions, who then took advantage of "word of mouth".

An ephemeral terrace in the 2nd arrondissement.

- R.LESCURIEUX / 20Minutes

To his credit in mid-October, the installation of twenty-five ephemeral terraces in the capital.

Especially in the Gobelins district, rue Kleber, avenue Marceau, rue Lafayette, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre or even at the Kremlin-Bicêtre (Val-de-Marne).

A list that should continue to grow.

“For me, it does work and it makes people happy.

The customers are happy and the owners too to see crowded terraces.

For some, overnight, they had a terrace when they did not have one.

It’s nice.

Jean-Michel, who has spent nearly 3,000 euros for his terrace adorned with a few flowers and planters, sees nothing but positive.

"This terrace saved my season"

“It's a cost but luckily I had this terrace, it saved my season, July-August-September.

I managed to organize twenty-four places above and currently half with the new sanitary restrictions, ”says the one who has no regrets but still fears winter.

"We do not have the right to install a roof there but for the winter it would be interesting to be able to transform these terraces into small chalets because it is not our parasols that will keep the customers there", he says. .

For his part, Laurent claims to be "responsive".

“An establishment asks me for a terrace on Monday, Wednesday, it's set.

"

On the technical side, it adapts to the sidewalk and its physiognomy and especially to the decree issued by the city.

The charter of the town hall of Paris indicates in particular that the establishment undertakes to "use light and aesthetic devices, easily and quickly removable".

And “not to use furniture fixed to the ground and not to create closed volumes”.

And wood is the optimal material.

For some professionals, however, the game is not worth the candle.

“We were contacted by bars, but we mainly work on tailor-made.

And our performance can be high for restaurants and bars.

In fact, we see that the owners of the establishments are making do with salvage equipment, craftsmen buddies ”, indicates a Parisian carpenter.

If the bars are currently closed for health reasons, these “Covid terraces” which are usable from 8 am to 10 pm, should however still have good hours in the capital.

Both the sector is booming.

"The wood order books are filled for the coming months"

The ephemeral terraces also benefit the wood industry.

“We are experiencing a real upturn in activity, particularly with demand for coniferous trees [fir, pines] which are on the rise.

If we lost 40% of activity during the crisis and the confinement, currently we are between 105 and 110%.

The sector is doing well ”, rejoices to

, Nicolas Douzain, general delegate of the National Federation of wood (FNB).

Traders must dismantle their ephemeral terrace every evening - R.Le Dourneuf

The Do It Yourself has also benefited the industry

 Because “people took the time to do the work themselves.

"Result," in France, the wood order books are filled for the next four or five months, underlines Nicolas Douzain.

Wood is making a comeback in the city with a local resource.

And it's a good thing ".

An observation in the era of time for terraces soon to be perpetuated?

Our file on the coronavirus

"It would be my dream", answered

, Marcel Benezet, president of the branch of cafes, bars and breweries of GNI-Synhorcat.

Same story, at the brasserie Le Parisien.

"In the long term, I would like to keep it obviously with a terrace fee", assures Jean-Michel.

For the moment, the mayor of Paris has not decided, but in a column published last June, Anne Hidalgo (PS) and David Belliard (EELV) indicated that the recent transformations of the public space would be part of the time.

Like coronapists.

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• Coronavirus

• Confinement

• Paris city hall

• Economy

• Covid 19

• Restaurant

• Bar

• Wood

• Paris