Waitstaff in Paris took to the streets in a quirky race on Sunday (March 24), continuing a 110-year-old tradition known as Paris Waiters Race.
A few hundred waiters and waitresses donned their uniforms and attempted to balance trays with a pastry, an empty coffee cup, and a glass of water on the 2-kilometer loop of the Course des Cafés, which began and ended at City Hall.
The tradition returned to the city ahead of the Olympics and took place in the heart of the French capital.
What is the Paris waiters race?
According to the Oxford Mail, the race is being revived after a 13-year hiatus as part of Paris’ efforts to shine in the Olympic spotlight and showcase its charm for the city’s first Summer Games in a century.
It honors the talented and sometimes temperamental men and women who have made Parisian restaurants and cafés famous.
According to reports, the first waiters’ race took place approximately 110 years ago, in 1914.
According to the Oxford Mail, the race is being revived after a 13-year hiatus as part of Paris’ efforts to reclaim the Olympic spotlight and showcase its charm for the city’s first Summer Games in a century.
It recognizes the talented and sometimes volatile men and women who have made Parisian restaurants and cafés famous.
According to reports, the first waiters’ race occurred around 110 years ago, in 1914.
While the event was full of smiles, attendees acknowledged the demanding nature of their jobs. Waiters and waitresses in France are known for their assertiveness, which can sometimes come across as abrupt or moody. They are, however, proud of their profession and are not afraid to stand up for it.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, emphasized the importance of cafés and restaurants, calling the city’s wait staff “the soul of Paris.”