Not open all hours

Epicerie Centrale in the heart of Vieux Nice has been one of the shops most badly effected by the mayor's law against late-night opening

Mayor’s unpopular decree
A controversial law, passed by city officials on the 17th of March, decreed that certain late-night eating and retail establishments must close at 10pm (11pm from May to October). It was argued that this would decrease traffic and noise pollution, reduce the number of street brawls and control the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol. In total, 85 businesses were affected.

A counter-attack from the proprietors has been rumbling ever since, with protests, petitions and the flouting of the law (many of those under the fatwa opening long after they are allowed to do so).

By the beginning of April so many complaints had been lodged that the conditions of the law were relaxed. Now, ice cream vendors and some takeaways have the right to remain open until half-past midnight.

Loss of profits and jobs
This has placated some, however the call to protest among those worst hit continues to stir in Vieux Nice. Given that most of these shops cannot compete with supermarket prices, they only have an advantage later at night when the big stores are closed.

"We earn 30 to 40 per cent of our daily turnover after 10pm," a disgruntled member of staff at Epicerie Centrale told The Riviera Times. "If this law doesn't change, people will lose their jobs." A chef at a popular kebab shop confirmed that they’ve always closed at 6am and that they earn 35 per cent of their profit after midnight (the kebab in Western Europe is a staple food of late night ravellers, it quite clearly goes hand-in-hand with consumption after-hours).

Others working in epiceries and takeaways claim that they now don’t have the money or workload to justify the extra staff normally employed over the summer period. "This decree does not give a positive image of the town to tourists," complained the owner of one snack bar, "it limits free commerce and increases unemployment during a period of economic depression."

For the good of public safety
On this issue though, Mayor Estrosi is refusing to budge. Only 30 shops are now obliged to shut at 10pm, he says, and this accounts for just one per cent of the city's food outlets. Furthermore, he argues that enforcing the earlier closure of these premises is a matter of public security and part of a bigger project to make Nice safer. He claims there are thousands of complaints regarding drunk and disorderly behaviour on the streets and these shops are partly responsible for trouble at night.

"It's simply not true that we cause the problems," said the worker at Epicerie Centrale, "quite the contrary, we employ security so it's when we close our groceries that the fights begin. To see an open door also increases a sense of safety for people. If they have a problem they can come in and we will help them." This is something about which some local residents concur. Australian, Linda Thompson, confesses that, as a woman walking alone at night, she finds it comforting to know that there are people around. "When I feel threatened by someone's presence, I stop at the shops and wait until I feel safe again." "They definitely make the dark alleys feel safer at night," agrees Julien Ducroz, who works at Waynes bar. He points out that for people working late, places to buy food or amenities after hours are a necessity: "Everyone at the bar will grab a kebab or pop into the epicerie on their way home after a shift. I would say though," he continues, "that too many of the shops around here have been blatantly ignoring the alcohol laws for too long: “I think the authorities have had enough. And Estrosi has already done lots to make it feel safer here."

Problems with alcohol
Facing accusations of serving alcohol until the early hours of the morning, many shop owners argue that they are meeting the demand of local people and tourists. Interestingly, many of these shops are run by immigrants (leading some to suggest that the law is racist) who, for religious reasons, don't drink alcohol themselves. Witnessing the problems caused by excessive drinking, their overwhelming opinion is that they stem more from the pubs and bars and that the city should be trying to control alcohol consumption in these establishments before shutting down small businesses. There should be, they say, a stronger police presence at night dealing more effectively with drunks as soon as they come out of the pubs.

It's also true that not all shop owners believe the new law to be a bad thing. One rotund owner, wearing a striped apron, spoke in favour of the new measures as he served a steady stream of customers buying bottles or cans from behind the counter. "The shops that stay open late have been able to inflate prices for the rest of us," he said. "All they sell is alcohol, even the bakeries around here serve beer! The competition is hard for me," he sighs before adding, "but I don't care. I'm moving to Cambodia anyway, a country where freedom actually means something."

When The RT approached Nice Ville for a comment, they said their position had not changed. But with shop owners refusing to admit defeat this argument looks like it will rage for sometime, yet. HM