2023-07-14 17:45:10
The ice grotto in Himmelpfortgasse in the first district is affected. Hardly anything has changed here since 1969 – now the three tables in front of the restaurant had to be cleared away. According to the operators, the sidewalk café, which lies in the shade in the followingnoon, has been very popular for decades. This year there is no more approval – despite a petition with around 200 signatures.
ORF There is no more room for a sidewalk café in front of the ice grotto
The reason for this is the lack of space for pedestrians. Because according to the law, the pavement for a sidewalk café must be at least two meters wide. A spatial and economic challenge for the ice cream business: “Sales have decreased. Why? People don’t want to sit inside. They come to the door and say: ‘No, you can’t sit here, I’ll go once more’”, explains Lucia Fontanive, the operator of the ice grotto, in the “Vienna Today” interview.
Hundreds of permanent permits have expired
The ice grotto is not an isolated case. At the end of 2022, around 100 permanent permits expired in the inner city. These are re-evaluated by MA 46, the municipal district offices and the district representatives.
New rules for Schanigarten permits
New permits and changes in the law are forcing pub operators to downsize their beer gardens or to close them entirely.
“We’ll see if you can still walk past, for example. We check whether the rubbish can still be disposed of, whether the rubbish trailer comes by with the big rubbish bin. But we also check that school trips are safe, so that children are not endangered if they step onto the road behind the sidewalk café,” says Eva Schantl-Wurz, District Office Manager for the 1st and 8th districts.
ORF The Schanigarten des Tachles only has a quarter of the seats
Tachles-Schanigarten only a quarter of the seats
Cars, pedestrians, cyclists, bars – all interests must be taken into account. Tables will also be removed this year in Tachles in the second district. According to the bar operator, the reason for this is the way to school that runs here, although the bar only opens at 4 p.m.: “We now have a much smaller area. At that time we had space for around 100 guests, today only for 25 guests,” says Tachles operator Marcin Gorski.
The lack of tables has already resulted in a drop in sales, he says. Where there is a lack of space here, the outdoor dining areas in the area are well filled. In any case, the operators of the ice grotto and the Tachles want to continue fighting for the approval of their guest garden.
1689364330
#city #sidewalk #cafés #shrink #wien.ORF.at
