Why are so many French restaurants closing?

We’re in France, where traditional eateries, bistros, and brasseries, once a huge part of the economy, as well as the culture of the country, are disappearing fast.

A few years ago, if you drove through France, you’d come across dozens of little restaurants. Now, in many small towns, you’ll only find a boulangerie and a takeaway. Restaurants serving traditional French food like steak and chips or coq au vin are closing at a rate of about 25 a day. The main problem: they’ve become too expensive.

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(Picture: Tables and chairs in a village square in Provence, France. Credit: Getty Images)