In Saint-Alban, Covid is the Law of Attraction

1 A noon that keeps you alive

Opened in the 1980s, the dancing restaurant L’Attraction, located near the Poirier roundabout, in Saint-Alban, had made festive and musical meals its specialty. In February 2016, when they took over the joint management activity, Sylvie Fourré and David Maillet decided to offer a “worker’s meal” every midday during the week. An idea that turns out to be saving today. Until last March, the establishment served “about 120 covers per day”. Currently, the figure is painfully reaching 100, after the months of June-July which peaked at 50.

If there is a reconfinement, even just for 15 days, for sure, we put the key under the door.

2 Half a turnover

Before the health crisis, L’Attraction’s turnover was divided equally between weekend events (weddings, birthdays, company meals, etc.) and full lunches at €13 from Monday to Friday. “When the containment was decided, all Saturdays in 2020 were already reserved. Since then, we must have done three evenings. Everything has been canceled ”, laments David, cook. Another reason for this 50% drop in turnover: the establishment is classified in category “N” (catering) during the week, and “P” (discotheque) at weekends. So, no thinning expected before March 2021, minimum, according to government guidelines.

3 A providential dance floor

In normal times, the reception capacity peaks at 199 seats, excluding the dance floor. From now on, taking into account the rules of distancing, it is limited to 140. “We are lucky to have a large room, which allows us to space out the tables”, notes Sylvie. For a week, and the entry into force of reinforced health protocols, the maximum number of guests per table has been set at six, against ten until then. The two cold buffets (free access before covid-19) have been removed, bar service suspended. As a result, the service is carried out exclusively on the plate. “And if we do not respect all the rules, we risk an administrative closure”, argues the co-manager.

4 A constant fragility

On the workforce side, one position had to be eliminated. The establishment employs six people, several of them part-time. For now, finances are holding up. But the balance remains fragile. David: “What keeps us from sinking is the deferral of loans. Our bank is also understanding. We have always managed to pay our rents despite the temporary cessation of activity. And we obviously hope that it will get better. But if there is a reconfinement, even just for 15 days, that’s for sure, we put the key under the door ”.

5 A Chain Repercussion

A juggernaut of the catering industry in the region, L’Attraction, although open to all, has a mainly professional clientele (craftsmen, workers, salespeople, etc.). Hence a constant adaptation to demand: “From one day to the next, we don’t know how much cover we will make. If a boss decides that, for reasons of health risk, his employees should no longer have lunch in a restaurant, that can put us in difficulty. And therefore, it will have repercussions on our suppliers,” explains David.