The latter is however only a part of the provided path

U n year after the signing of the contract for the future' commercial restoration (it was April 28) between the Government and the employers, the sector appears to have initiated its out of the crisis. According to the professionals who keep however shouting victory, the first quarter of 2010 is indeed marked by une improvement activity, which they explain by a "VAT effect". The trend is however contrasted, car-dependent positioning of operators and the importance of the commitment to lower prices. "Almost everyone is growing, the increase in turnover excluding taxes goes from 9 to 20," said including the Director General of the Gira consultancy, Bernard Boutboul specialized firm. "The first quarter of 2009 had been catastrophic Loons from 15 to 30. "The first quarter of 2010 compared to the first quarter of 2008, it is at the same level," acknowledges however.

Attention to the price

"There is an improvement, no doubt." "The reversal of trend took place in autumn," observes, for its part, the Chairman of the Executive Board of Léon de Bruxelles, Michel Morin. A finding that, among other things, his counterpart of Buffalo Grill, Jean-François Sautereau. In Buffalo Grill, the turnover of the first quarter rose by 1.44. For its part, the mussels and chips formula specialist has seen its turnover excluding taxes grow 10 in the first quarter, said its leader, who is also state a 5 increase in the number of customers at the end of March - compared to a decline of 9 a year ago-, average ticket being in withdrawal of 5.7 on account of lower prices. In passing, the President of the Executive Board of Léon in Brussels said that activity was "very disturbed" January-February due to bad weather.

Buffalo Grill, which has withstood the crisis year last because of its "low cost" positioning, saves, for its part, a 7.4 increase in the number of covered in overlapping since the beginning of the year, the increase of 3.23 on a comparable basis. But, says its Chairman of the Executive Board, if the lower prices drew volumes, it simultaneously reduced the turnover. This plus the impact of the behaviour of consumers, who have not dropped ballast: "consumption has resumed, but the crisis is still there." People make attention to prices. "Buffalo Grill is more than 30 of its activity with the menus", analysis Jean-François Sautereau. In detail, the turnover of the string to number of constant stores (191) declined by 1.55 (TTC) in the first quarter despite an attendance increase of 0.92. Logically, the average ticket drop, 2.36.

If the chains, which were beyond the commitments of the "contract for the future" in lower prices, have returned in attendance, the situation appears however more contrasting traditional restoration, although it has been particularly affected by the crisis. According to the Synhorcat employers ' organisation, activity "reproduces more difficult province to Paris", the capital with a status as being the first tourist destination in the world. The Synhorcat also state, too, a decrease in the average ticket.

5.300 jobs

More generally, at the time of the first anniversary of the "contract for the future", the employers ' organisation said "proud" of the balance sheet for first ten months of implementation (July 1 2009) of the VAT reduced to 5.5. In addition to the signing of a social agreement of branch, on an adjustment of the salary grid and the establishment of a mutual (from 1 July 2010), she recalled that the second half of 2009 gave rise to the creation of 5.300 net jobs in the hotel restaurant. Concerning the reduction of prices, the Synhorcat takes the figure of 1.4 that had established the INSEE. The latter is however only a part of the provided path. The Secretary of State in charge of tourism, Hervé Novelli, was in fact very careful to specify that the application of the rate of 5.5 VAT should result, if the commitments are met by a decline in the price of 3 on average.