Davide is “at the end of the roll”, as he says with his accent, which remains singing despite all its setbacks. Recognized restaurateur, one of the few to offer typical Sicilian cuisine in Toulouse, for several weeks he has come up against the high standards of the Architecte des Bâtiment de France (ABF).

In the protected area of ​​Toulouse, one of the largest in France with its 230 hectares, we do not mess with the rules of aesthetics. But for Davide, this all goes really too far.

“I arrived at the end of 2020, and I worked for 3 months in hypercomplicated conditions, the facelift was not finished, we were of course under Covid.” This father of two works double duty, opens almost every day, and pays rent of nearly € 3,000 per month.

“Frankly, it’s going too far (…) And what’s more, we can’t even set up a table in front of the restaurant!”

He invests his savings to install a sliding door. To increase his visibility, he installs a digital screen, “oriented towards my shop, not at all on the public highway”. Today, the Architect of Buildings of France requires him to repaint the joinery (red) of his sliding door in gray; to roll back its shutter, “chosen that the previous manager had already made. And today, it must be rolled back again”, says Davide.

He must also remove the tiles he had laid, to ensure his safety and that of his customers, on his storefront. And that he withdraws his menu, because it is “too big” with regard to the ABF.

“Frankly, that goes too far. These people in their office, with their wages falling every month, do not take into account the sacrifices, the hours that we put in to be able to earn our living. And they annoy us … by no longer in this rue Pargaminières, you can’t even put a table outside!

Davide asks for “understanding” in the service of the Buildings of France. Otherwise, he could file for bankruptcy.