“Customers have a new way of consuming”, assures the director of Bertrand Restauration

Solène Leroux 10:31 p.m., May 2, 2022, modified at 10:36 p.m., May 2, 2022

Restoration is back in France!

The Bertrand Restauration group owns 450 establishments and manages 10,000 employees in France.

If the name of this 25-year-old French group may not mean anything to you, several of its emblematic brands will refresh your memory: la Coupole, le Procope, the Lipp brasserie in Paris, but also Hippopotamus or Burger King.

Christelle Grisoni, general manager of Bertrand Restauration, was the guest of

on Monday.

“We see the recovery, it is obvious. For a month now, we have had no more constraints” linked to the Covid-19 crisis, she explains at the microphone of Elisabeth Assayag.

"We have an influx of customers, especially in Paris, who want to go out."

>> Find all the programs of La France mouvement from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

A craze that is reflected in the frequentation of restaurants.

“We are seeing a fairly dazzling recovery in Paris, especially in our Parisian brasseries and restaurants, with a return of Parisian customers, but also tourists, French and international”, she continues.

In Paris, the general manager specifies that her group "has already exceeded the activity of 2019".

Elsewhere in France, the recovery is softer, in particular in the Hippopotamus or Léon brands, where the group "sees that it is more progressive", even if "we are gradually tending to return to an activity close to 2019".

Tuesdays and Thursdays popular with customers

In addition to the resumption of catering activity, Christelle Grisoni notes "all the same that customers have a new way of consuming".

For example, the workers have lunch "a little less at noon, since there is always telework, which has necessarily settled in", she explains.

From now on, the busiest days for lunch on weekdays are "Tuesday and Thursday", because employees choose to telecommute on Wednesday and Friday instead.

>> READ ALSO -

 How do the French eat today?

In terms of schedule, "people have got into the habit of coming to eat earlier", and going out "less late at night".

What suits restaurateurs: "Reservations at 11 p.m., we have a lot less than before."

A real change of habit which is also reflected in the plate: the French no longer hesitate to treat themselves.

"We see that overall, whether in Paris or on our national brands, tickets have increased a little bit," says Christelle Grisoni.

"Our average ticket ranges from 20 euros to more than 100 euros", due to the different types of establishments offered by the Bertrand Restauration group.

On the consumption side, "people take more things, they have fun, and they consume a lot of alcohol, and in particular cocktails".