The paintings have been redone, the sofas shampooed. On the ground, there are still some extensions to hide but the “ cleaning is complete “. On the other hand, in the middle of the dance floor and facing the DJ stage, Sandrine is still perched on a huge scaffolding. ” We like to do things last minute here, so we’re redoing all the lights. So that it really “blows up” on the evening of the reopening. We also have a broken down machine that we have to put back together “, details the manager of the nightclub.
You have to recruit. Compared to the team that we had formed at the start of the school year last September, 40% left”
– Marion FERRERE
The other concern for Sandrine is recruitment. After two years of hardship, many have left the profession. ” There were a lot of them in the catering industry, it’s also done at home in the discotheque and as we work with a lot of freelancers, we have to start all over again. We have to find staff, whether in security, at the bar or DJs… We have to recruit. Compared to the team we put together last September, 40% have left. By Saturday, we’re missing a dozen people so we’re going to do interviews“, regrets the manager.
The health protocol remains unclear
If the restrictions are lifted today, the Whizzz will officially reopen on Saturday evening and several hundred clubbers are expected in the two rooms of the box. Despite customer expectations, a doubt persists about the health protocol. The mask is still compulsory in closed places until February 28 and the vaccination pass is necessary to enter a nightclub. ” We tell ourselves that there are still people who like to go out, who like the world of the night, but we don’t know how young people will react with the vaccination pass “. The night professional no longer dares to project herself.” We are passionate so we are going to open, make sure people have a blast but the rest, we don’t know: are we going to close again next winter? How long will the health protocol remain in place? Will the people who came in October come back? Will the young adults finally come to discover the discotheques? We do not know “.
In the Hauts-de-France region, around twenty nightclubs have closed due to the health crisis
On the side of the representatives of the sector, we also deplore the lack of precision concerning the health protocol. Also at the heart of the negotiations: the lack of support from nightlife players. “We are the only ones to have suffered so much during the health crisis and today no recovery plan is planned.“, alarmed Morgan Dalle, spokesperson for the SOS CHRD in distress. “We started repaying state-guaranteed loans but very few of us received aid in December“. In the Hauts-de-France region, about twenty establishments have closed, 300 at the national level. “And nobody talks about us, we’re completely invisible“, insists Morgan Dalle. At the Whizzz, Sandrine prefers not to think about what’s next. On the other hand, on the sound side, no problem: the speakers are working. The music is ready to go and ring out all night long. The doors reopen from Saturday.
This new lifting of restrictions also concerns bars, where standing consumption is once again possible. Also reopening of drink and candy corners in stadiums, cinemas and transport.