French Baker Fined For Keeping Bakery Open

A French bakery owner who opened his storefront seven days a week to accommodate tourist crowds has reportedly been fined €3,000 for violating a regional law mandating that bakeries close at least one day each week. Cédric Vaivre, owner of Boulangerie du Lac, operates the only bakery in his Aube town; during previous summers, he received an exemption to Aube’s prefectural decree allowing him to stay open all week but did not obtain similar permission in 2017. Christian Branle, mayor of Vaivre’s town, reportedly told local newspaper L’Est éclair, “In a tourist area, it seems essential that we can have a business open every day during the summer. There is nothing worse than closed shops when there are tourists.” An Aube official reportedly told Vaivre his only solution is to open a second bakery.