You might think that it’s impossible to have too many French restaurants – but there are growing voices within France calling for controls on the food sector and even a cap on the total number of restaurants allowed, especially in cities.
France is proud of its gastronomy, which also acts as a major draw for tourists. In 2010, the French ‘gastronomic meal’ was added to the UNESCO list of intangible world heritage, and the internet has no shortage of lists advising tourists of where and what to eat while travelling to France.
But now France is beginning to ask itself a different question: Are there too many restaurants?
According to Statista, France is not particularly notable for its number of restaurants – France was third in Europe for the total number of behind Italy and Spain, despite having a significantly larger population than its neighbours.
Statista lists 229,226 restaurants in France, and the French government registers the industry as the country’s sixth-largest employer.
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A 2024 study by consulting group GIRA gives a much higher figure – 407,000 – but that includes takeaways and fast-food outlets as well as traditional restaurants.
The study found that in 2004, France had one restaurant/takeaway per 238 inhabitants, but in 2024, the ratio shifted to one restaurant per 168 people.
While that may sound like a good thing to foodies, industry stakeholders worry that the market has become too saturated, particularly in larger cities where people are spoilt for (or paralysed by) choice.
More restaurants closing
As more restaurants open, newcomers have a harder time surviving. Data from Banque de France found that 7,200 restaurants closed in 2023, a 44 percent increase in closures compared to 2022.
It’s not just about competition – customer habits also seem to be shifting.
This summer, attendance at ‘traditional’ restaurants dropped between 15 to 20 percent, according to the UMIH, a union representing those in the restaurant and hotel industry.
Customers have blamed increased prices at restaurants. A 2024 study by the organisation Food Service Vision found that menu prices have increased 20 percent over the past two years.
It also found customers had become more concerned about prices, with 89 percent saying they ‘pay attention to prices’ at the restaurant, an increase of five percentage points from 2023.
But industry stakeholders blame an oversaturation of the market in urban areas, and some are even calling for a cap on restaurant numbers.
In Paris, the market is more saturated than the national average. The capital counts one eaterie for every 82 residents. After that, Bordeaux follows with one per 103 people, Nice with one per 103 people, and Toulouse with one per 145 people.
READ MORE: 8 tips for finding a good restaurant in France
Limiting numbers
Frank Chaumès, head of the UMIH hospitality union, has been an advocate for greater regulation.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, we realised that traditional restaurants played an important role in society. They allow us to sit and discuss.
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“And now, everything is coming together to make them disappear, even though they are the ones that create the most jobs. Tomorrow, we will be in a society where we eat on the go, at the office, in the American style, which is not an example to follow,” Chaumès told La Dépêche.
Chaumès has floated the idea of a cap on restaurant numbers, as well as requirements to demonstrate training before entering the industry, similar to other sectors like hairdressing.
Chaumès told RMC in a separate interview that the cap should also apply to fast food restaurants, noting that they are held to the same standards of hygiene and food safety as a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Some restaurant owners have also been in favour of greater regulation.
In Bordeaux, Paul, who owns an Italian restaurant in the city centre, told RMC that “There has been a huge growth in the number of restaurants in Bordeaux in the last three or four years.”
Paul told RMC that he has recently put his restaurant into receivership, having lost 50 percent of his previous turnover due to increased competition.
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But others say that the focus must be on quality.
Stéphane Manigold, the owner of eight restaurants in Paris, told 20 Minutes: “There are not too many restaurants; there are too many pseudo-restaurateurs who cook dishes in the microwave.”
Manigold added that he supported greater regulation on demonstrating the origin of products.
“If it’s homemade, we should say so. If not, we say where it comes from (…) Those who don’t want you to know what you’re eating are serving you crap.”
READ ALSO: Bio, artisan and red label: What do French food and drink labels really mean?
What do you think? Does France have too many restaurants or is the problem more one of quality? Share your views in the comments section below
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
