Customer 'Wealth Screening': French Resort Town Restaurants Under Fire

As travel and tourism rebound post-COVID-19, a troubling trend emerges as the holiday season approaches. In the picturesque French resort town of Saint-Tropez, certain restaurants are allegedly discriminating against customers based on their wealth, a scandal drawing sharp critique from officials and media alike.

"The unfortunate reality of these accusations is what makes them particularly shocking," stated Mayor Sylvie Siri, emphasizing the disapproval of the town council for such ignoble practices and expressing her concern for the image of the town they tarnish.

A whistleblower exposed to Var-Matin, a local news outlet, that restaurants were tracking customers' historical data, using it to classify them as 'big spenders' or 'small fry'. The criteria included past visits, previous expenditures, and order preferences.

As a consequence, the 'small fry' were often met with the excuse of non-availability for months and redirected to other dining establishments.

In the world of luxury concierge services, 'minimum spending' is becoming a common term. Essentially, a restaurant offers a reservation at a steep price, for example, 5,000 euros (around $5,400) as a minimum spend. Declining this, potential patrons lose their spots.

This exploitative practice is tantamount to racketeering, says Mayor Siri in discussions with the Nice-Matin newspaper, where she also raises the legality of this data retention and breech of personal data protection laws. This tracking requires consent, adding an extra layer of illegality to the operation.

Furthermore, these establishments allegedly exercise forced tipping, imposing a fee of up to 20% of the bill, much higher than the average tip of 5-10% in France. One notable occurrence involved a waiter pursuing a customer to the parking lot, demanding an additional tip on top of the already extravagant 500 euros (approximately $540).

Despite the prevalent accusations, neither local officials nor news media have publicly named the restaurants involved in these unethical practices.

Mayor Siri is expected to address the issue in a meeting with the restaurants and restaurant owners set to occur in September. A range of immediate potential consequences have been explored, including the suspension of late-night operation licenses.