Some restaurateurs can no longer pay their electricity and/or gas bills. To the point that some decide to reduce their number of opening days. A difficult and temporary choice.
Like many other independents, restaurateurs are struggling to pay their energy bills, including electricity and gas.
Some therefore decide to reduce their opening hours. : more midday service, more weekday openings, fewer opening hours… The possibilities are diverse.
The aim is to close at times when there are fewer customers, most often at lunchtime or on weekdays. At such times, revenues are often lower than expenses. Some restaurateurs are also closing to work elsewhere, and thus be able to pay their bills. Making this decision is often difficult and restaurateurs hope it is temporary.
“It’s really scary”
This is the case of Roxanne Godefroid, manager of the restaurant “Le relais Saint Monon” in Nassogne. She can no longer pay her bills, and has therefore made a radical choice. Currently, it is open 6 days a week but it will have to reduce.
“I am going to close 3 to 4 days a week in order to go to work elsewhere and be able to pay for my electricity. I was at 380 euros in electricity per month, I got the statement, and now I am at 1050 euros months. When I go to work on the other side, I will work to pay for my electricity and my property tax. Yes, that’s how bad it is, it’s really scary. We managed to get out of covid and now we’re starting another period even harder than the covid”.
“A temporary way to be able to reduce the charges”
Alain Dewulf, manager of the “Spaghetti bolo” restaurant in Temploux, has also decided to reduce the number of opening days. Before, he received clients 5 days a week for lunch and dinner. Recently, it only opens in the evening, 3 days a week.
“I concentrate customers on the weekend. Do a lot of work over a little less hours. Which goes once morest the grain of business, of course, but it’s a temporary way to be able to reduce expenses. It was becoming impossible to work many, many hours only to finally realize that it wasn’t really worth it. All these general increases mean that we have to find something, a solution that allows us to consume less, maybe -be to manage the stock differently.”
Restaurant owners also often try to save money elsewhere in their restaurant. In particular by cutting certain lamps, cutting certain machines, or even changing their menu (to have less food to store in the fridges, which consume a lot of energy).
