• This Thursday, Jean Castex confirmed that the date of mid-May was envisaged for the reopening of the terraces.

  • A vague and unspecified ad that leaves restaurateurs and bartenders hungry for more.

  • Frank Trouet, of the National Group of Independent Hotel and Restaurant Industry, explains how the executive's speech is far from satisfying.

Little by little, and despite a health situation that remains on the crest line, deconfinement and its key dates are emerging.

Resumption of school on Monday, end of the ten-kilometer limitation on May 3, and opening of the terraces "scheduled for mid-May", as Prime Minister Jean Castex announced during his press conference on Thursday evening.

A prospect far from fully satisfying restaurateurs and bartenders.

In opposition line: a calendar and conditions still too vague, and summer deadlines which may arrive faster than the lifting of certain measures.

Frank Trouet, in charge of public relations at the National Group of Independents of the Hotel and Restaurant Industry (GNI) returns for

20 Minutes

on the reasons for his skepticism.

What did you think of Jean Castex's announcements this Thursday evening?

In reality, it did not provide great information for our professionals!

The good news is that we remain on an opening of the terraces in mid-May, and we hope that the territorialization desired for this deconfinement will serve to open more quickly the interior of restaurants and bars in regions with low viral circulation, rather than delaying openings in areas with high incidence.

What is essential is to stand at this starting point of mid-May first, and not delay it, and even as long as to make it open rather on May 13 than on May 17.

Then, we must be told as quickly and clearly as possible what the sanitary conditions to be respected, the gauges, whether there will be a QR code or not, etc.

and the conditions of economic and financial support.

All these elements, we do not know them yet and we have the impression of sailing by sight, it is very frustrating.

We restaurateurs asked to be notified at least three weeks in advance.

But we were talking about being notified of all the conditions, not just the date!

By only starting to open the terraces in mid-May, when do you expect to open the interior?

We hope and we are fighting so that the various stages of deconfinement for bars and restaurants take place every two weeks and not every four weeks, in order to open up the interior as quickly as possible. We saw clearly, during the first deconfinement in 2020, how the mere opening of the terraces did not allow many restaurants or bars to be profitable - not to mention establishments that simply do not have a terrace.

In addition, Euro 2021 football starts on June 11.

It is a unifying event, where customers consume more and on which many establishments rely heavily, even if we know that there will be health limits and that it will never be the influx of the 2018 World Cup. For example, we know that it will be forbidden to drink alcohol while standing.

However, Euro 2021 is an important moment for the finances of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars and we must not miss the few opportunities that will arise to have customers and income from 'silver.

Our dossier on deconfinement

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

What are you waiting for in the next few days?

What we are absolutely waiting for is to have more details.

A date, a complete health protocol now, and details also on financial assistance.

Until what date do we keep the remainder dependent on partial unemployment or the maintenance of exemptions from contributions?

There too, we do not know.

Evoking a reopening of the terraces in mid-May is far from sufficient for restaurateurs, we want something concrete.

We are asking for more dialogue, it is time to sit down to table with the government and for our demands to be heard more.

Health

Coronavirus: Curfew, back to school, quarantine ... The executive organizes deconfinement

Society

Deconfinement: Reopening of schools, terraces, shops ... The calendar is becoming clearer

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