” Thank you for your support “. Stéphanie makes it her duty to personalize the packaging of the small dishes cooked by her husband, Fabrice. “This thanks comes from the heart,” insists the restaurateur.
In front of the P’tit Bistro d’Ethan, a handful of faithful wait on this ordinary Thursday. In a few minutes, they will recover their order placed almost exclusively via social networks: “In 70% of cases, we are approached by Messenger, says the chef. And I can assure you that my wife answers them within… 39 seconds. “
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An eagerness that betrays the professionalism of the couple. But also, and above all, the need to supplement a cash flow eaten away by the reconfinement: “We had rebalanced it a little during the summer. But there, it becomes worrying again, testifies Fabrice. As a self-employed person, I have the right to… nothing ”.
The equation is simple: “No throughput = no income. So even if these take-out sales only represent 30% of our usual business, it’s already taken. “And to add, gratefully:” Fortunately, the owner of the walls divided our monthly rent, of 2,200 euros, by two. A rare gesture. Very rare.
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No profit
“Us, it is 3,750 euros per month, confinement or not …” Lisa, restaurateur with a character that one guesses well steeped, put the small dishes in the big ones. Le Resto, a renowned Italian restaurant on Place Turenne, more precisely her restaurant that she has managed with Pierre-Emmanuel for almost nine years, is currently running 7 days a week. The establishment has easily taken to the page of click and collect .
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Custom-ordered furniture, dressed in plexiglass, erects a barrier that is as reassuring as it is tasteful with customers: “We wanted something aesthetic, cozy, that resembles the establishment. “Gel dispensers at the entrance, poles that mark the direction of public movement or even regular disinfection of the room echo the current health protocol:” We have invested € 10,000 for these anti-Covid measures. “An expense that should now be amortized.
By putting an end to their meager days off, even delivering their dishes free of charge in a large area (Yutz, Manom, Cattenom), Lisa and Pierre-Emmanuel strive to maintain this inherently fragile link with customers: “We show them that we are there for them. And they give it back to us, ”thanks the boss. Who assures not to derive any benefit, in the accounting sense of the term, from these efforts: “If we make 20-25 orders per day, that’s already good. In our case, these sales allow us to survive. “
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€ 4,200 rent
“I’m not balancing anything on my side,” laments David. Like a bouncer, he crosses the meridian break planted in front of the door of the restaurant A L’Angle. Sauerkraut, lasagna and other take-out are laid out on a table outside. An appetizing invitation to order: “We offer 5-6 dishes a day. We do it mostly for our regulars. “
Among these, Emmanuel and Christophe. “We already come because we like cooking. And also out of solidarity ”, summarize the two clients. David seems touched. But still concerned: “This sales volume does not cover my monthly rent of… 4,200 euros. ”
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