These seasonal workers who serve you all summer in Nîmes

Laina et Amarylis passent l’été à accueillir et servir les clients au Brennus. Midi Libre – Noa Roche

When summer comes, seasonal contracts in bars and restaurants are always in vogue. Laina and Amarylis have chosen to work at the Brennus during this entire period.

The atmosphere is calm and relaxed at the end of the morning at the Brennus. On the market square in Nîmes, Laina, 19, and Amarylis, 24, joke on the terrace. They are both seasonal workers for the summer in this traditional brasserie with a strong rugby accent.

If they haven't yet learned how to sharpen, or even the art of “framing overflow” which could have been useful when the terrace is full, the two young girls are gradually getting used to the oval ball. “I prefer the atmosphere of rugby to that of football, it's more friendly… And more masculine“, laughs Amarylis. For Laina, it's a discovery: “I'm getting used to the world of rugby that I didn't know. It's a warm atmosphere, some people come just because the restaurant is called Brennus. I was on a work-study program here during the last World Cup, it made me appreciate rugby!“

Touching encounters

Laina is from Nantes and has just obtained her CAP in hotel and catering marketing. It was when she was looking for a work-study position that Thierry, the boss, recruited her. “He called the school straight away and that's how I started. At the end of my work-study position, I continued on to a summer fixed-term contract“, she explains. This experience has allowed her to experience some surprising stories: “One day, a man from Nantes came here. We talked, and he explained to me that he hadn't seen his daughter for 3 years and that it was hard for him. By an incredible coincidence, I knew his daughter! I contacted him to prepare a surprise for her father. She took a train, I went to pick her up at the station and took her to see her father! It was incredible“, the young girl remembers.

Amarylis already had experience in the restaurant business. She found out about the brasserie through her neighbor who works there. What was supposed to be a short collaboration turned into a fixed-term contract for the whole summer: “Initially, I was just supposed to help out for two weeks. But since I was offered to work longer and the atmosphere was good, I accepted”.

At the end of the summer, Amarylis intends to enjoy her son. Laina will continue her studies in a vocational baccalaureate, even if she is still hesitating between construction and service.