France’s bistros are dying |
Emmanuel Macron says France’s traditional bistros should be granted Unesco world heritage status. Speaking at the Élysée this week, the French president vowed to help save the country’s traditional cafes. ‘This is a fight that we want to take on, because our cafés and bistros aren’t just selling croissants, baguettes and traditional products – they’re also on the front lines of preserving French craftsmanship and know-how,’ Macron told a group of French bakers at the annual Epiphany cake ceremony.
France doesn’t need to list its bistros. It needs to decide whether it still wants them
Macron is right about what the bistro represents. For generations, it has been a shared meeting place as much as a commercial one; somewhere to linger and belong. Yet the fact that France is now seeking international heritage protection for its bistros is also an admission of decline. Around 40,000 remain today, down from roughly 500,000 a century ago, and their numbers continue to fall year after year, squeezed by rising rents, changing habits, delivery apps and fast-food competition.
While Paris talks about preservation, the reality of provincial France tells a different story. France now counts more than 11,000 kebab shops and some 50,000 fast‑food outlets. They have become the most visible face........