- Cafes, bars and restaurants can reopen to the public from this Tuesday.
- In many cities of France, the municipalities grant extensions of terraces to compensate for the loss of tables.
- In Lille, only restaurants are concerned, excluding cafes and bars.
In Lille, as everywhere in France, this Tuesday marks the end of confinement for cafes, bars and restaurants. It is perhaps the most striking symbol of a return to an almost normal life. Almost, because the specter of the coronavirus epidemic still hangs over our heads, implying the respect of certain health rules both by professionals and by customers. In places of conviviality, the most restrictive is the application of the distance which is implemented at the expense of the number of places. A loss that can be compensated, or not, by extensions of terraces.
In all the big cities where 20 Minutes has offices, the municipalities indiscriminately allow restaurants, cafes and bars to extend their terraces as soon as it is physically possible. In Lille, it is not as simple. Last Friday, during a videoconference to present the measures taken by the city to support the reopening of these establishments, Martine Aubry had insisted that only restaurants could enlarge their terraces.
"We make brewery with sandwiches"
This Thursday, the situation seems to have changed, at least in fact. It was enough to walk around the city center a bit to notice that most of the terraces had gained surface area. In a well-known café-tabac in the Grand Place sector, a new row of tables encroached on the sidewalk. "We make breweries with sandwiches," said an employee. In a bar not far from there, same observation. “Yes, the bars have expanded a bit, but not too much. We will have to see what it will give tonight, ”confides to 20 Minutes a member of the municipal police.
So, can bistros extend their terraces or not? It was not easy to get a clear answer, but it turns out that no, the bars will not be entitled to it. "This only concerns establishments offering catering or snacks," recognizes Jacques Richir, deputy mayor. He also warns that there is no point in selling sandwiches overnight, it will not work. Hard to believe that this is not an "anti bar measure" as Jacques Richir promises. “There are places, like Place Mendès-France, we know very well how it will happen. After a few days, they will come out of the big tables like at the flea market, ”deplores the assistant.
The fact remains that, in concrete terms, the districts where the bars are concentrated do not necessarily lend themselves to the extension of the terraces. "The size of the sidewalks in Old Lille, the presence of many residents in Massena", lists Jacques Richir. A priori, the rule should not change before the next step of the government, set for June 22.
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- Coronavirus
- Deconfinement
- Lille