The French bar: adapting to legal and societal shifts

Purpose – The paper aims to identify the causes of the decline of French cafe´s and highlight some of the solutions which have been implemented to save this symbol of French identity.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses secondary French sources, mainly from the press and professional organisations.
Findings – Cafe´s (or bars), once symbols of French lifestyle and identity, have experienced a sharp decline in numbers over the past decades. Legislation, including a smoking ban and more stringent drink-driving enforcement, has been blamed. However, social and cultural factors have helped to change the French lifestyle, and it is possible that many bar owners did not adapt with sufficient speed to the new consumer demand.
Research limitations/implications – The work is primarily limited to a literature review. More theoretical and empirical research is needed to further analyse the developments to which the profession has had to adapt, and the changes the latter will bring to the sector as a whole.
Originality/value – The paper provides an examination of the current position of the French cafe´s and the need of owners to be aware of current trends and to adapt to these.