This week, FRANCE 24 looks at how immigrants who’ve come to France from all parts of the world have coped with the Covid-19 lockdown. In the fourth of a five-part daily series, Craig Carlson, an American who runs two restaurants in Paris, shared his views on how the Covid-19 crisis was handled in France and the US.
Since 2003 Craig Carlson has run two restaurants in Paris based on a simple formula, American breakfasts all day long.
When France locked down in March, he thought of returning to the US, but then decided to stay, with his husband and business partner.
With the French confined to their homes, Carlson was struck by the different conditions for his loved ones across the Atlantic and said the US's handling of the pandemic has been a disaster.
"I was just amazed at how my family and friends were taking it so lightly and not worried at all," he said.
But Carlson's focus now is on getting his French business up and running again. One of his restaurants remains closed after a lockdown that cost him €400,000.
To watch the report from FRANCE 24's Jonathan Walsh and Chris Moore, click on the video player above.
