This Monday morning, Sébastien Pourrat was buying food. Not for Cocotte, its Soho restaurant, which closes like the others, but for its staff, who find themselves out of work "So that they have at least something to eat for a while".

Since the announcement by New York mayor Bill de Blasio of the compulsory closure of all bars and restaurants from Tuesday, French restaurateurs are managing the shock and trying to prepare for the future. Many had already decided to close before the official announcement, such as Eric Ripert, the head of the prestigious Bernardin which had closed on Saturday. Gérald Barthélémy, co-founder of St Tropez restaurants before making the same decision on Sunday. He had, he said,the belly ball”When he and his partners decided to close their two establishments. “We thought about our health, that of our employees and our customers. We already felt bad for being open on Saturday, he confides. We wanted to play the game and be good citizens“.

This Monday, forty employees are out of work, but the French does not intend to leave them on the floor either. “We had planned to do a normal week. We are going to give food to our employees, to associations.. ”, Says the chef. Beyond that is uncertainty.

George Forgeois, owner of the Jules Bistro, Le Singe Vert and Bar Tabac restaurants, considers the situation to be “worse than 9/11”. “When the towers fell, everything was still running around. Today, panic is widespread. We feel that the government is not up to the task. " Between his three restaurants and his wholesale bakery, George Forgeois employs around 110 people. "We are told that there are government programs that will help small businesses, I hope this is true."

How long can we last?

The question for everyone is how long they can hope to last. The most optimistic, like Hervé Rousseau, owner of the champagne bar Flute, wants to believe "That it will work out from May 15th". He will take advantage of the closure to make renovations and “The payment deferrals that we can get” to hold out until then. “The attitude of the landlord (owner of the building) will be decisive, considers Sébastien Pourrat de Cocotte. If he is understanding and makes an effort we can hold on, I have some cash reserves. I opened 5 days before Hurricane Sandy, I'm used to the difficulties … Today, I have hope; if it lasts 3 months or more, I don't know… ”

After the shock, and still in full uncertainty, the restaurateurs want to believe it. For Gérald Barthélémy, a year after the opening of the second St Tropez (in SoHo), the covid-19 is therefore a serious blow for small business. “We accused the shock, but once it passed, we thought we could either die or do everything to restart after the crisis ended“.

Takeaway

The ban on opening saves deliveries and take-out, so many are considering getting started. Pierre Gaona, owner of Léna restaurants, bars and cafes, who had seen “this weekend a drop in turnover of 110% ” even before the official closure, will set up " delivery services to keep the restaurant open. We weren't doing this before, but it's a way for me to pay my employees and keep them paying their rent.. "This is the priority for Pierre Gaona:"pay its employees. We fight together so I keep my employees and even if they can no longer come to work, I will continue to pay them, we will work out later ”.

At Le Singe Vert and Bar Tabac (Brooklyn), George Forgeois also plans to set up a menu for deliveries. “We have loyal customers in these two restaurants who will soon get tired of eating pasta every day and will be happy to order a fried steak!”

Financier bakeries have decided to stay open. “We have removed all the chairs and tables so that people cannot sit down, but we are still carrying the wind ”, explains Laurent Vasseur, the manager. But even by remaining open, the chain is forced to cut about 50% of jobs.

Double penalty: employment and visa

For some, the uncertainty of their business adds to their professional situation. “I'm on visa here, said Sébatien Pourrat. If I lose my business, I lose my visa and the right to be in the United States. " A question that will also arise for many chefs and employees, frequently on visas.

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