They are as French as demonstrations, croissants and good railways; an essential part of any British tourist’s holiday and of the social and cultural life of the nation — and they are rapidly disappearing.
France’s bistros are shutting so quickly, according to new statistics, that within 10 years they will all either have closed down, become ”theme bars” or have been swallowed up by large chains. A survey by the catering trade union Synhorcat has revealed that there are at least 5 000 bistro owners who are planning to sell up in the next 12 months. With only 45 000 bistros in France — a fifth of the number of 30 years ago — that has left the industry with a nasty taste in its mouth.
”The typical French cafe is disappearing,” said Elisabeth Lenanen, a Synhorcat official. ”Especially in the provinces there is a process of bistro desertification. There are whole swaths of the country without a bistro in sight. ”
A coalition of unions representing ”patrons” has just launched a new campaign, ”Save Our Bistros”. Cyril Pereira, a spokesperson, said that the problems had been caused by a combination of different factors.
First, there is the famous French bureaucracy; then there are the recent campaigns against drink-driving, which have brought down France’s famously high road death toll but also cut consumption of alcohol in bistros.
”We have nothing at all against such campaigns,” Pereira said. ”But they focus on bistros, when more than 80% of alcohol in France is consumed at home.”
Another problem is strict gaming regulation, which restricts pinball, fruit machines and even table football. Finally there are new habits. ”People don’t come to a bistro to talk any longer. They use the internet and a screen. Human relations have become virtual,” said Pereira.
Another major threat, say the bistro owners, is the strong possibility of a new law banning smoking in public places.
One bistro-owner in the trendy Marais quarter of Paris told The Observer that, after 20 years in the business, he was shutting up shop. ”The rates have gone through the ceiling, half my clients are tourists, and I have to fight the local authority to have more than two square centimetres of terrasse,” he said. ”I can’t be bothered any longer. There are easier ways to earn a living.”
But at La Brazza, a bistro in the 11th arrondissement, Jimli, the new proprietor, was more optimistic.
He bought the establishment six months ago — largely because of the bookmaker’s licence that went with it. Yesterday [Saturday] the bar was full of happy punters drinking and betting on the World Cup and the horses.
”I was going against the general current, but it’s a good investment,” Jimli said in between serving cafés crèmes and beer. ”But it was a good decision because this is a gaming cafe. About a third of the revenue comes from the betting. But it is a hard life. It’s a hell of a lot of work and the hours are long.’
He was philosophical about the proposed smoking ban, even though a third of La Brazza’s revenue comes from tobacco products. ”It’s not going to help,” he said. ”But this is the 21st century. You’ve got to change with the times.” — Guardian Unlimited Â