For a dish priced at 22 euros, the restaurant owner will receive only 40 cents in net profit.
Restaurant industry experts are talking about a deep systemic crisis in the sector. The decline in restaurant attendance is not a seasonal downturn. The tourist season can no longer revive the industry.
Dining out, which has long been perceived as a spontaneous and regular activity, is becoming a thoughtful, planned expense. For the middle class, dining out is gradually transitioning from the status of regular leisure to that of a rare pleasure.
The cost of dishes for customers is rising, but restaurateurs' incomes are falling. For a dish priced at 22 euros, the restaurant owner will receive only 40 cents in net profit after all expenses, taxes, and fees are deducted.
As a result, restaurateurs are forced to optimize their menus: reducing the number of dishes, using cheaper products, and optimizing other costs.
The closure of restaurants negatively affects the urban landscape. Dropped shutters, boarded-up doors, and removed signs do not beautify the streets of cities.
At the same time, customers have not disappeared; the French still want to eat. They are simply changing their eating habits and migrating to snack bars, bakeries, and fast food outlets.
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