The return of the waiters’ race, in Paris

The rebirth of a legendary race, the Cafe Waiters’ Race, in the streets of Paris. Copied all over the world, it had disappeared for 13 years.

It had become an institution. The waiters’ race was born at the beginning of the 20th century to highlight a French-style service, which the whole world envied. It very quickly became a popular meeting, which marked the history of Parisian brasseries.

Claude Guittard, the former director of Lipp, still remembers it: “I knew a butler who spent 30 years of his life in the house, and whose father had spent 30 years of his life in the house before him, a father who had won the waiters’ race in 1951.”

Claude Guittard – who has just published his memoirs, Lipp is a partypublished by Éditions du Rocher – also reminds us that Parisian brasseries are a world apart, with an outfit made up of “vest, log, white apron”a long apron which risks hindering competitors.

Relaunched by the city of Paris

Participants are also prohibited from running; they will have to walk as quickly as possible through the Marais, carrying their plateau. Nathan Kaïdi, young 23-year-old waiter at Procopiuswill set off tomorrow morning: “A tray on which there will be a coffee, a glass of water and a croissant, in other words, the usual Parisian breakfast. I have done the distance on treadmill several times, and I went to scout out the places, history not to make a mistake. The difficulty will be to keep going for the length, at a sustained pace because we are going there to win!”

The waiters’ race was historically supported by the magazine The Auvergne of Paris, who had to give up due to lack of budget. It is the city of Paris and its municipal water authority which are taking up the torch, for a budget of 100,000 euros, in partnership with the restaurant unions. Water that 1,000 Parisian businesses have agreed to pour free into visitors’ bottles before, during and after the Olympic Games.