REPORTAGE
This may be an initiative that will inspire other restaurateurs. With the announcement of the passage from France to stage 3 of the coronavirus epidemic on Saturday evening, and the closure of "non-essential" businesses such as cafes or restaurants, Victor and Julien could have resigned themselves, drawn the curtain and just stayed home. But these two Parisian restaurateurs from the 17th arrondissement have decided to empty the fridges of their establishment "Chez Léon" in a rather original and united way by offering food to those who request it, as our journalist noted.
"This is all the food we should have served the customers we give"
Brownie, pasta, eggs, salad ... on a table set in front of the restaurant window, there is plenty to eat. But out of the question of paying, everything is free. "This is all the cooking we should have served the customers we give," explains Victor to our reporter. "In our business, we do everything to never throw away but there, we had a lot of products that were not going to hold." "We obviously gave priority to our employees, but we had too much stock. So we share with the neighbors and the neighborhood," slips from his side Julien with a smile. "Anyway, that was where we lost it, and then it's nicer than throwing it away," continues Victor.
>> Coronavirus: follow live developments
"If the recovery is calm, it will be very complicated"
And while their restaurant is closed, the two partners intend to prepare the reopening of their establishment so that "it will resume severely". "Customers will have to come back to restaurants and shops to support the real economy," says Julien. "The strikes [against the pension reform, note ] had a terrible impact, and the coronavirus can destroy us", analyzes his side Victor, who already anticipates: "If the recovery is calm, it will be very complicated."