"Catastrophic", "horrible"... a Var restaurateur warns of the drop in attendance this summer

"A table for five people and a stroller? Noted. Thank you." At the O'beach restaurant on the Mourillon beaches in Toulon, reservations aren't that numerous.

On this Wednesday at the end of July at lunchtime, only 66 covers were allocated, out of the 160 available.

"We've had a mixed start to the season," says new co-director Étienne Maréchal, who took over the establishment at the beginning of July. "There's inevitably a bit of disappointment."

Over the past month, his establishment has shown between 10 and 15% less attendance, compared to its forecast which was nevertheless "reasonable" .

As a result, his payroll rose above 30% of his restaurant's turnover, whereas he was expecting 28 or 29%.

"A good July normally helps compensate for slower periods of the year," adds the restaurateur.

For him, declining purchasing power is not necessarily the primary reason. The owner of O'beach, where the average ticket is around 45 euros per person, blames the weather, which has been "disabling."

Between heatwave and mistral

"During the heatwave, customers didn't really want to go out for lunch," he says. "And then we had a sudden drop in temperature, with a strong mistral wind, which had the same effect in the evening. We were almost a bit cold. All of this isn't good for business."

He doesn't want to look at the forecast for the next few days. He prefers to cross his fingers. While counting on a good August and a promising late season.

In the meantime, he reassures himself as best he can: "We're more or less holding our own, because we know it's worse elsewhere..."

"It's very, very quiet," confirms Émilie Biville, manager of the Italian restaurant Il Parasol di Marco, right next door.

This suggests a drop in attendance of around 30%, compared to the figures for July 2024. "However, we have kept the same menu, the same prices, the same decor..." , she specifies.

Since the start of the school holidays, her restaurant has served between 180 and 300 people on the "rare good days" (especially at the start of the week), when it should frequently exceed 400. "If it continues like this, it could be complicated..." , says the restaurateur.

Number of place settings halved in ten years

A little further on, there is even more grimace in the ranks of the M5, which advocates "refined, traditional cuisine, with a touch of inventiveness, showcasing noble products" .

Jean-Philippe Denys, who has been the restaurant manager for eleven years, sums up the situation in two words: "Catastrophic, horrible." "Ten years ago, we served 200 meals a day. Now, we serve 100, " he laments. "In a year, we've lost a third of our clientele, which was already declining. It's problematic, especially in the evening."

In contact with holidaymakers, he clearly sees that there is a prioritization of expenses: "Going to a restaurant has become the last choice." Tourists seem to prefer picnics or meals eaten at home, which are much less expensive.

Sitting on the grass a few steps from the restaurants, this couple from Alsace confirms: "Given the prohibitive prices charged by the restaurants by the sea, which almost all offer the same menus, we don't even ask ourselves the question anymore. We can't afford to go to a restaurant anymore."

Should we review prices? "Perhaps the bosses should think about it. But don't think we're gorging ourselves. Between raw materials, wages, and rent... We're far from making an 80% margin."

This regular, who has seen the Mourillon eateries replaced by quality restaurants with "a great menu, lovely decor and qualified staff" does not hide a certain frustration: "We're paying the price, it's sad."