PARIS, France – Today, Pernod Ricard wishes all cafés, bars, bistros, brasseries and restaurants every success as they reopen in compliance with health measures. As one of the founding members of the platform, “J’aime mon Bistrot” (I Love my Local), throughout this crisis Pernod Ricard has been doing its utmost to support one of the most affected sectors of the pandemic. At the same time, the Group has produced almost 2.5 million litres of pure alcohol globally for the manufacture of hydroalcoholic gel and transformed some of its plants into direct producers of hand sanitiser.
Today the Group has decided to accelerate its support for the “1000 Cafés” initiative created by Groupe SOS, chaired by Jean-Marc Borello, and of which Pernod Ricard has become a leading partner.
This project aims to facilitate the continuation or the opening of 1,000 cafés in 1,000 towns of fewer than 3,500 inhabitants across France. The Group will contribute via financial grants and will also help these 1,000 new café owners get set up. This commitment will also involve sharing with the managers of the “1000 cafés” tools developed to promote responsible sales in order to make each of these new establishments irreproachable in this area.
This training will be led directly by Groupe SOS, based on its experience already gathered in some cafés. The Group will also provide advice on implementing a circular approach for the reuse of waste related to this activity, as it does elsewhere in the world with the Trash Tiki collective.
Lastly, Pernod Ricard points out that no commercial consideration will be requested from future cafe owners, who will be free to stock brands of their choice.
For Alexandre Ricard, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard, “The Covid crisis has shown the extent to which French people need to meet and share simple, authentic and genuine opportunities to socialise: the desire for respectful and responsible convivialité has never been so acute as it is now.”
This initiative is reminiscent of the philosophy that motivated Paul Ricard when he created his eponymous company. He wrote in his memoirs, La Passion de Créer, “I believe my need to live in a supportive and friendly society stems from my attachment to my rural roots.”
Jean-Marc Borello added, “Cafés, bars and restaurants have always played a vital role in our culture. They are meeting places as much as they are living spaces. Today they are missing from many small rural towns, and yet a third of the French population lives in these communities. In many places, their gradual disappearance heralds the end of local businesses and services. That is the finding of “1000 Cafés,” which also wants to turn these establishments into multi-service hubs.”
