You can’t even cry into your café au lait. That essential French cultural touchstone, the village café, is dying. While the republic has grown in population, its cafés have gone from some 200,000 in 1960 to 38,000 in 2016. While tourists sustain famous Parisian haunts, the classic rural gathering spot has declined with the closing of factories and other employers that once dotted the countryside. Some even blame the lack of such venues for the popularity of the yellow vest movement.

Is there any hope? A social services nonprofit is working on reviving café culture — supported by President Emmanuel Macron’s embattled government.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.ozy.com