Pernod Ricard has said that it is backing the reopening of bars and restaurants in France, by announcing its support for the ‘1000 Cafés’ initiative, which aims to bring back convivialité to the French HoReCa sector.
Following the government’s relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions to allow all bars and restaurants to re-open, the group accelerated its support for the initiative, which was created by Groupe SOS, chaired by Jean-Marc Borello.
The initiative is aimed at facilitating the opening of 1,000 cafés in 1,000 towns with fewer than 3,500 inhabitants across France.
The group will contribute to the initiative via financial grants, while also offering training to the managers of the cafés, a service that will be led by Groupe SOS.
'Opportunities To Socialise'
Commenting on the initiative, Alexandre Ricard, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, said, “The COVID-19 crisis has shown the extent to which French people need to meet and share simple, authentic and genuine opportunities to socialise”.
Jean-Marc Borello added, “Cafés, bars and restaurants have always played a vital role in our culture. They are meeting places as much as they are living spaces. Today, they are missing from many small rural towns, and yet a third of the French population lives in these communities.
“In many places, their gradual disappearance heralds the end of local businesses and services.”
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Elizabeth Schroeder. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
