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Wednesday (we’re middle of the road).
Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore UNESCO protecting the French café.
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: Macron wants global recognition for an industry his own laws are choking.
What happened: The president asked UNESCO to add French bistros and cafés to its list of cultural heritage on Monday.
Why it matters: France had 450,000 bistros after WWII. Fewer than 40,000 are left.
What to watch: Parliament must pass the May 1 bakery bill before Labour Day 2026. Otherwise, bakers face another year of fines for the crime of selling bread.
The baguette got UNESCO status in 2022. Bistro closures sped up. But sure (try the cafés).
Sponsor Break
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Here’s Your Brew
Bistros aren't closing because nobody respects them. They're closing because office workers stay home, and McDonald's added 50 French locations in 2025 alone.
UNESCO recognition helps on paper.
It unlocks subsidies and good press. But France already declared bistros a national heritage four months ago.
Closures haven't slowed.
The real fight is over bread. Five bakers in Vendée were prosecuted last year for having staff work on Labour Day.
They won, but only because the judge agreed the law made no sense.
Unions say "voluntary" holiday work is a contradiction. Macron says families want fresh croissants.
One Paris bakery sells 1,300 baguettes every May 1.
On a typical day, it sells 800.
Two Sides, One Mug
Pro: UNESCO status means money and political pressure to protect neighbourhood cafés before they all become Starbucks.
Con: Badges don't pay rent. Bistros need cheaper leases and customers who leave their apartments.
Our read: France is very good at celebrating traditions, keeping them alive, not so much.
Receipt of the Day
The paperwork that really matters.
Spit Take
1,300 baguettes: What one Paris bakery sells on May 1. A day it's technically illegal to open.
Your Coffee Break Links (and water cooler chatter)
Fortune — French bakeries are protesting because opening on May 1 is (possibly) against the law — Bakers fined €750 per employee for selling bread on a holiday. Including the guy who won in court.
Connexion France — Which French shops can open on May 1? — Legal, tolerated, or prosecuted. Pick one.
Bloomberg — Why Paris Wants UNESCO Heritage Status for Its Bistros — This campaign started in 2018. Seven years later: no UNESCO listing, fewer bistros.
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