Ibrik Kitchen

With France on Lockdown Again, Can Its Restaurants Survive? | Eater

"An intimate four-year-old Balkan canteen in Paris run by Ecaterina (Cathy) Paraschiv and linked to a sister coffee shop, it attracted regulars who savored dishes like chiftele and baked feta even as the city braced for renewed lockdowns. Staff scrambled to sell off dishes and ingredients before closing while contending with disrupted supplier deliveries, out-of-stock products, and the anxiety of sudden policy shifts. The restaurant qualified for partial unemployment and payroll-tax relief, easing immediate payroll pressures, but rent and ongoing construction on the owner’s planned Balkan deli remain unresolved. The owner has chosen not to pivot to takeaway or third-party delivery apps—citing both practical limits to adapting overnight and opposition to app-based labor practices—and is using the forced pause to plan next steps." - Lindsey Tramuta