Public Holidays & Bridge Days: A Guide for Restaurant Chains
Forecasting · July 25, 2025 · By Alex Dondelinger · 4 min read
Every public holiday is both a commercial opportunity and an organizational challenge for restaurants. These dates can generate up to 20% additional revenue, but they also bring a noticeable increase in payroll costs if they are not well anticipated.
The Public Holidays That Matter in Food Service (2025-2026)
| Public holiday | 2025 date | 2026 date |
|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 |
| Easter Monday | Apr. 21 | Apr. 6 |
| Labor Day | May 1 | May 1 |
| Victory in Europe Day (1945) | May 8 | May 8 |
| Ascension Day | May 29 | May 14 |
| Whit Monday | June 9 | May 25 |
| Bastille Day (national holiday) | July 14 | July 14 |
| Assumption | Aug. 15 | Aug. 15 |
| All Saints' Day | Nov. 1 | Nov. 1 |
| Armistice Day (1918) | Nov. 11 | Nov. 11 |
| Christmas | Dec. 25 | Dec. 25 |
| Alsace-Moselle: Good Friday and December 26 are also public holidays. |
Focus on May 1 in Food Service: A Mandatory Day Off, or Double Pay
May 1 is the only legally mandatory public holiday and must be paid double if worked. If the restaurant closes that day, employees are legally entitled to keep their usual pay.
HCR Agreement: 10 Public Holidays + 6 Guaranteed, How Does It Work?
The HCR collective agreement (hotels, cafés, restaurants) states that employees with at least one year of seniority are entitled to 6 guaranteed public holidays per year, in addition to the mandatory May 1. If these guaranteed days cannot be taken, they must be compensated or made up within the following 6 months.
- 6 guaranteed days: priority and mandatory (except May 1, already covered)
- 4 non-guaranteed days: optional, depending on operational needs
Pay, Rest or Compensation: The Rules by Status (Permanent, Part-Time, Seasonal)
| Employee status | Working May 1 | Working other public holidays | Public holiday not worked |
|---|
| Full-time permanent contract (CDI) | Double pay | Usual pay or compensatory rest | Usual pay |
| Part-time permanent contract (CDI) | Double pay | Usual pay or compensatory rest, prorated | Usual pay, prorated |
| Seasonal worker | Double pay | Usual pay with premium if provided for | Unpaid unless guaranteed by the collective agreement |
Bridge Days & the Solidarity Day in Food Service: Optimizing the Staffing Calendar
A bridge day (pont) means granting an extra day off between a public holiday and a weekend. The decision rests with the employer or a collective agreement.
The solidarity day (journée de solidarité), for its part, is freely set by the employer and may be a public holiday worked without a premium or another day chosen during the year.
Scheduling Best Practices: Anticipating Footfall Without Blowing Up the Payroll
A few best practices for managing your teams effectively on public holidays:
- Analyze footfall history from previous years
- Plan staffing based on weather forecasts and local events
- Anticipate the optimal split between kitchen and service teams
Automated forecasting tools can help make these calculations more reliable.
Stock & Suppliers: Avoiding Stockouts and Overstock During Bridge Periods
Anticipate the impact on your stock:
- Longer supplier delivery times
- Consolidated orders ahead of bridge periods
- Occasional menu adjustments
- Apply the FIFO method (First In, First Out) rigorously to limit waste
Customer Communication: Special Hours, Dedicated Menus and Managing Expectations
A few tips for communicating well with your customers:
- Update your Google Business Profile and website regularly
- Announce special hours clearly on social media
- Plan proactive management of waiting times
Frequently Asked Questions About Public Holidays in Food Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay double on May 1?
Yes. May 1 is the only public holiday that is a mandatory day off or, if worked, paid at 200% of usual pay (Article L3133-6 of the French Labor Code). No agreement can derogate from this downward.
How do the 6 "guaranteed" public holidays of the HCR agreement work?
After 1 year of seniority, every employee must receive six paid public holidays per year (excluding May 1). If the business requires working on those days, they must be paid normally AND made up within the following 6 months, otherwise the employer pays the equivalent in wages.
Are apprentices and seasonal workers entitled to paid public holidays?
Apprentices: same rights as permanent employees, prorated if seniority is under 12 months.
Seasonal workers: May 1 is still paid double if worked; other public holidays are paid only if an agreement or the contract provides for it.
Can I impose a "bridge" between a public holiday and the weekend?
Yes, the employer can decide on an intervening day off (a bridge), provided it either counts that day as paid leave or provides for later make-up time (collective agreement or internal memo). Inform teams at least a month in advance to limit refusals of leave advances.
What happens if a public holiday falls on an employee's weekly rest day?
In the HCR sector, no automatic carry-over or compensation is provided (apart from the 6 guaranteed days). The employer may nonetheless grant equivalent rest by custom or internal agreement to maintain fairness between employees.
Are the dates different in Alsace-Moselle?
Yes, two additional public holidays apply: Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) and December 26. Pay rules remain those of the HCR agreement, unless a more favorable local custom applies.