Meal vouchers: restaurant owners denounce a reform that pushes people towards the shelves

On Sunday, the Union of Trades and Industries in the Hotel and Catering Sector (Umih) raised its voice against the proposed reform of meal vouchers. Speaking to franceinfo, Frank Delvau, president of Umih Île-de-France, accused the government of "favoring large retailers at the expense of restaurateurs," at a time when the government is working on a reform that would maintain the use of vouchers in food shops. On one point, however, the union agrees.

The Minister Delegate for SMEs, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power plans a bill "by the summer" to authorize their use on Sundays, an extension that Frank Delvau welcomes, like a breath of fresh air in a profession that counts its cutlery and margins down to the last cent.

The Umih is demanding an "inflation-linked security" and is attacking commissions.

Backed by figures, the UMIH (Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades and Industries) believes the shift is already underway: 45% of meal vouchers are reportedly spent in supermarkets compared to 31% in restaurants, with the share increasing in supermarkets while it is decreasing in restaurants. At the same time, Frank Delvau asserts that "25 restaurants are closing every day" and considers it "scandalous" that meal vouchers continue to be widely used in supermarkets, as if the voucher, designed for lunch, were simply becoming a small change at the checkout.

To regain control, the organization proposes the creation of a separate "inflation voucher" or a differentiated spending limit depending on the place of purchase, with the idea of ​​a maximum of €25 in restaurants and €15 in supermarkets. Another, more technical but very concrete, approach focuses on commissions, estimated at 4% for restaurants compared to an average of 0,5% for bank cards, and a request for social security contribution relief for service sector jobs, as the legislation announced for the summer already promises to reignite the battle between supermarkets and neighborhood restaurants.