Will the restoration pass the course?

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Restoration is one of the industries that has suffered the most from COVID-19. A true heart of life in cities, bars and restaurants are beginning to take stock of the months of closure imposed by the containment. While some may have managed to continue a half-hearted activity, with take-out sales, others did not open and resume service until the end of the lockdown in May 2020. Restoration, a strong symbol within the country, is now evolving with uncertainty. This situation affects both restaurant chains such as Courtepaille and small local restaurateurs.

A hand outstretched to restaurant professionals

Food and gastronomy are part of the French heritage. In Bordeaux, Philippe ETCHEBEST, iconic chef, warns that the sector has been hit hard. Restaurants have experienced a drop in sales of an average of 50% since their reopening. This is all the more worrying because by the end of the year, 40% of them could file for bankruptcy. Solidarity is then organized to help these professionals to start a revival. Thus, tourism in France in the different regions and especially in New Aquitaine helps to limit the backlash. The Cité du Vin, a wine museum in Bordeaux, admits to having had a limited backlash, with a 13% drop in attendance. This is a far cry from the initially expected decline, due to the lack of foreign tourists who have remained in their country. With the aid offered by the Region and the State, the situation of restaurateurs can be maintained.

According to restaurant professionals, keeping afloat is only a matter of time. The aid paid in this way will have to be repaid, without having resumed a total activity. The reorganization of workspaces with a decrease in the capacity of customers, and the measures to be put in place have a direct economic impact. As a result, many choose to sell their business before they have to close. By finding a buyer, the restaurateur wins. No jobs were cut, and the neighbourhood retained its establishment. The presence of restaurants, cafes and bars contributes greatly to the attractiveness and dynamism of a neighbourhood. Without them, it loses value and attracts less new residents. It is also a social bonding factor, a place to meet. A beating heart of local life, which has anything but interest in disappearing.

Saving restaurants through connecting

In 2019, a Bordeaux company is creating a platform: Ouirestauration. A real accelerator of recovery, it allows you to sell or buy an establishment offered for sale. The strong point of this platform is to give equal visibility to all ads, so that all restaurateurs can find a buyer. The economic situation being uncertain for the latter, the platform decides to reach out to them by offering to sellers and real estate professionals. In fact, access to deposit their ads is paid, 29 euros per month for restaurateurs or 5 euros per ad for real estate agents. To help revive the business, the platform offers its features, an open door to find solutions and thus limit economic loss. Across France, the platform currently has 140 ads, including 5 in Gironde.

Bars, cafes and restaurants were the first to be impacted by COVID-19, along with traders. In addition to offering services such as catering in its most traditional sense, they are also places that are part of the life of a neighborhood. And for many, ancillary services also support their importance to local residents. Relay points for parcel deliveries, bar-tobacco, or bread depots, especially in small villages, are essential services. Services that not only help restaurateurs live, but also greatly improve the lives of locals…

Sources:

Communiqué Ouirestauration – 25 August 2020 – #SauverLesRestaurants: a digital platform is committed to avoiding the closure of French restaurants by offering its services free of charge

Orirestauration – Buy a restaurant all restaurant ads for sale

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