In the 1960s, France had around 200,000 cafes nationwide. It’s down to 36,000 today. Most of the bistros that disappeared were in small, rural towns. Up until now, it’s been virtually impossible to bring them back, mainly because of restrictive French liquor laws. But a bill in Parliament hopes to change that, and breathe some life back into thousands of small towns. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Jujols, France.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?