The kiosks slated for demolition will have to come into line with the Esplanade in Montpellier

A partir du 15 septembre, les kiosques des fleuristes sont déplacés sur l'allée centrale. MIDI LIBRE – JEAN MICHEL MART

The die is cast for the kiosks on the Esplanade. New design, new configuration too. What fate will be reserved for them after June 21 and until the end of the work ? Already florists and restaurateurs will not be in the same boat.

Shaved ? Renewed ? Reduced ? Whether they sell flowers or paninis, the sensation of rolling under the effect of the successive waves of construction works rsquo;beautification of the Charles-de-Gaulle esplanade is shared by the kiosquiers. "One day, we are moved ; the other day, we were deleted, it's unbearable, breathes the pretzel seller who went out of business last February.

The fate of the three florists' premises and the three restaurateurs is sealed

At the beginning of October, they will all be demolished… and renewed in June 2025. A building permit dated March 19, 2024 valid for demolition, attests to this. "We are not at war with the City. We are under stress, we specify.

Florists moved to the new central aisle

The most worried, because most impacted, are the restaurateurs to whom it seems that their future has been decided on a corner of the table "by people who have no knowledge of our issues, professional and social."

The very first, fruit and vegetable seller disappears. The florists will be moved from October 1 to June 2025 to the central aisle, finally freed from its fences, in "a Christmas chalet", we describe without conviction,"between two new sections of work, on Allée de Tassigny, which goes from the tourist office to Corum and on Allée Boulet where we are currently located".

The dream of joining the Comedy, "between the elms» during the work, withers away but at least their activity is maintained.

The food truck option for food kiosks

But what about the three restaurateurs that are the Vert tomate, the Kiosque à malices and the Kiosque Fabre ? "The solution offered to us", summarizes Ludovic du Vert tomate, "It’s nothing, basically closure, or to keep us going, but in a food truck at our expense ? We were promised chalets at least to maintain jobs. The elected officials decreed that this would create too much nuisance."

No one jumps to the ceiling. "We hoped for better!" "Better" than closing, "assuming that we are renewed in 2025 because the concession ends in September".

At the Kiosques à malices and Fabre, operated by Fouad Khaled, we are closing until further notice. Item.

Return to initial surfaces: 15 m² and 35 m²

If the perpetual lease (gift from Georges Frêche) of the florists is tacitly renewed annually, that of the restaurateurs, whose premises are municipal property, will be the subject of a new call for tenders ;rsquo;offers.

And everyone plans to stay there until June 2025, within the new defined limits. 35 m² for food pavilions with an equivalent terrace, and 15 m² for flowers. Exit reserves and wild extensions blocking the view of Sarrail Boulevard. But precious. Things are no longer going very well in terms of square meters! "We have given up on the lost standoff" ; the municipality’s obsession being to recover the eroded public space.

In January 2023, during the first phase of renovation work which was beginning, "we were already no longer seen!", declares the florist. A large educational fence thanked the people of Montpellier for their "patience".

Patience is difficult to negotiate with the fall in turnover, until the final curtain falls for the boss of O Bretzel. "There were too many uncertainties, I even had to give up on the PGE."< /p>

The loan guaranteed by the State distributed by the banks at cost price at the end of the health crisis would have been refused "since we were going to close at the end of 2022 ! All we heard was the death of the kiosks, it was a matter of months!" In February 2024, he returned the keys. At the other end, David Karouby, from Kiosque à malices, is doing the same in 2023, for the benefit of his neighbor who took over the concession in April.

A simplified kitchen

Everyone will find their nails " initials"."Without an enclosed terrace, it will be hard in winter! And without a storage place…" "We florists are the worst off. We keep our backs rounded because we don't have to close and we only lose one meter. Our losses are less significant than those of restaurateurs!"
With at least 60 m² reserve and kitchen at the moment, the Vert tomate will have to "simplify" its menu.

"These are twelve years of work, investment, a business that are disappearing. My two employees have family lives. It is my responsibility to obtain a temporary cabin."

As for the pretzel manufacturer, whose only brand remains Grand-Rue Jean-Moulin, it is not excluded "d&rsquo ;go before the administrative court". To be reimbursed the price of "the’municipal indecision", he said. There is therefore no room for doubt about the permit to demolish.

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