Paris businesses start to reopen after opening ceremony

PARIS — With the opening ceremony completed, many business owners in Paris are hoping for a return to normal.

Jessica Soles has been working at the Paris Gift Shop in Central Paris for about a year and knows everything with the Eiffel Tower on it. She also loves meeting people from around the world and knows that a smiling face and friendly attitude help give people a great impression of Paris.

“That thing, like helping people, talking to people, is something that, at least for me, it’s really nice,” Soles said.

However, because of the security measures for the Summer Games opening ceremony, many shops in the central part of town along the Seine River decided to close. Paris Gift Shop is located along the Seine River near the Notre Dame Cathedral, right where the opening ceremony floated by.

The security closures only allowed locals and people with the proper credentials could get into the area.

“Yeah, we hope that after the opening, it’s going to start getting better,” Soles said. “The reality is, right now, it’s insane. ”

The Paris Gift Shop decided to stay open despite the closures. However, Soles said she only had two customers on Saturday and three on Sunday. Normally, she would have hundreds.

“It’s quite crazy because usually for us, summer is like the biggest, you know?” she said.

But the opening ceremony is over, and the barricades are starting to come down. This means tourists can start roaming the streets again, and Sole can be an unofficial tour guide once again.

“You can really become in love with the city,” Sole said. “You can do this, and you can see that.”