Amsterdam terraces shrink, entrepreneurs are hugely frustrated
Hospitality entrepreneurs in Amsterdam’s Red Light District and Nieuwmarkt had extra space for their terraces in recent months, to compensate somewhat for the losses caused by coronavirus. The city centre is getting busier again, and that temporary expansion of the terraces is being reversed. Result: frustrated entrepreneurs.
The measure ended on Friday at 4:00 p.m. Terraces have to return to their old layout, which is considerably smaller than it has been recently. Less space between the tables and fewer tables, meaning less room for guests. In addition, small shops are no longer allowed to sell alcohol. You can guess: not everyone is happy about it. This costs revenue; some entrepreneurs estimate that in a sunny month it could reduce their turnover by as much as forty percent.
Anonymous
The terrace tables on Nieuwmarkt along the façades may remain; those on the square have been cleared away. Entrepreneurs would rather not say anything, they tell Het Parool, which has written an article about it. ‘We hope to continue fighting this, but it doesn’t help if we rant about it in Het Parool,’ an anonymous entrepreneur tells the reporter.
Extreme
Staff shortages, smaller terraces, higher beer prices: things really aren’t going the entrepreneurs’ way. Local residents, by the way, are happy about the reduced terraces. ‘It’s quieter,’ says one resident. ‘I’m not in favour of changing everything, but I do think curbing the extreme is a good thing.’ Other residents are sceptical. The measures are good, they say, but the municipality does not actually enforce them. ‘Three dealers here and three dealers there, around the corner, all the time. The police, enforcement officers and hosts do or can do nothing.’
Also read:
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- Good news: the hospitality staff shortage appears to be easing
Source: Het Parool
