They expected an Olympic boon. But some Paris businesses are experiencing a bust

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Small business owners in Paris expected a boon in visitors once the Olympics arrived

PARIS — On a typical summer day, tourists flock to the historic Marais district of Paris, wandering its charming medieval streets dotted with ultra-chic boutiques, gazing at stunning private mansions, strolling through the elegant 17th-century square Place des Vosges, and filling humming restaurants and bars.

But this summer has hardly been typical, and those streets, shops and cafes have been markedly emptier in the days leading up to the Paris Olympics — leaving businesses like Stolly’s Stone Bar, a pub popular with English speakers, pining for summers past.

It’s a far cry from what business owners expected when they first heard the Olympics were coming to Paris, says David Carroll, who stood behind the bar on a recent, slow weekday.

“It’s sure not the Olympics we were hoping for — so far, anyway,” said Carroll, a Canadian who has been working in the neighborhood for 20 years. “It’s the same for everyone around here.”

Carroll attributes the light crowds to multiple factors, but first and foremost the chilling effect from security measures that have had tourists encountering metal fences, police checkpoints and demands for a special QR code that they may have neglected to obtain — a digital pass required to access some popular areas before Friday's highly secured opening ceremony along the Seine River.

Now, visitors are facing major disruptions after officials reported fires and other sabotage to the high-speed rail network.

Some would-be tourists decided to avoid Paris altogether during the Olympics, fearing high prices, crowds or general chaos. On top of that, many Parisians have escaped the city in their usual summer exodus —