It's a scene well-known by the people of Lyon: glasses clinking, a colorful terrace joyfully spilling over onto the Fulchiron quay (Lyon 5th), laughter echoing between the flower pots… And yet, this image might soon vanish. The Lyon city hall has indeed initiated a procedure to close down the famous Café 203, accused of disregarding the rules regarding its terrace. The issue? An illegal platform, persistent encroachments, non-compliant installations, and operations outside the authorized period.
20 official warnings received since 2017
Since 2017, no fewer than 20 official warnings have been issued. In 2024, things escalated: repeated formal notices, intensified inspections, and finally, a formal request submitted to the Prefecture. But Christophe Cédat, the owner of Café 203, is not planning to back down without a fight. For him, this terrace represents a haven of peace, an urban breath of fresh air, a beloved spot for customers and locals alike.
"Harmonious, floral, green", he defends it tooth and nail, believing it neither disrupts traffic nor bothers pedestrians. He sees this closure as an irreversible economic sentence. "I'm sentenced to death", he declares to BFM Lyon, mentioning the threatened jobs and the sacrificed neighborhood vibe.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
In response to this decision, the citizens' outcry was swift. In just 48 hours, a petition gathered nearly 400 signatures, proving that the 203 is not just a café: it’s a landmark, a piece of local life. It’s an emblematic conflict between administrative rigidity and emotional attachment. In Lyon, even the terraces have become a hot political topic. Just to remind you, the Café 203 Opéra had already faced an administrative closure in 2020 for offering meals to healthcare staff on its terrace during the lockdown. And in 2022, the owner also made headlines by ...installing a speed bump in front of his establishment after the city of Lyon failed to respond to his 25 requests to slow down vehicles on his street. A love story that goes on...
