For outdoor cafes – golden age or survival fight?

The anniversary season

Warm weather allowed entrepreneurs to take the tables out of the table, to seduce customers, to enjoy the cozy breeze, to enjoy exclusive dishes and drinks. Occasionally additional events are held so that Kaunas residents and guests of the city can spend time as possible.

Here’s the Castle Garden that you are renewed this season. By the way, this place is celebrating its ten -year anniversary this year. According to restaurant managers, both locals and tourists have discovered this place, so there are plenty of visitors on the outdoor terrace.

« We hope the season will be very good, we will get a lot of visitors because we are located in a unique place with a view of Kaunas Castle. Kristina Kurauskaitė, Head of Pils Garden Human Resources.

Popular: Entrepreneurs find that Laisvės Alley restaurants are rediscovered by locals. / Photo by Regimantas Zakšensk

Gloomy moods

In other parts of the Old Town, businessmen are not so happy this season. The main cafes and restaurants of the Old Town seem to be getting less attention from visitors, and businesses operating in the Town Hall Square are creating survival plans, as the reconstruction of the square may not be at all visitors this summer.

« While reconstruction work on the pitch, we are very restricted to trade. There are a number of restaurants closed here. There is no way to set up outdoor terraces. No corner of the square has been cleaned, and if you free up some trail, it is unclear if you will still go for reconstruction work. Ruling Paulius Tamošiūnas.

It can be seen that everyone wants the Old Town to be attractive, full of life.

The Kaunas Council adopted a relief so that businesses will not be able to pay local tolls for outdoor terraces this season in the Town Hall Square. However, businessmen are skeptical about such city support. According to restaurants operating in this Old Town space, if the local toll businesses were forgiven for at least three years, it would have given the effect, and now we have to turn their heads to survive whether the locks will have to hang and close the catering areas for many years.

The number of business cafes issued in the Town Hall Square, where construction is under construction, is invited to the Town Hall Square. Sonata Šelienė, Head of Licenses, Permissions and Services, informed Kaunas Day that after Easter, a total of 87 permits were issued in Kaunas. Of these, there are 46 in Laisvės Alley, 22 on Vilnius Street, and there are none in Town Hall Square.

« That relief is null and void. Thank you for your efforts, but the relief for not paying tables, which is nowhere to be built, will not bring any benefit to businesses. We have chosen to work, but we will probably not survive because people do

Auditorium: Tourists are more likely to sit in the field cafes of Vilniaus Street. / Photo by Regimantas Zakšensk

The occasion to renew

Others in the Town Hall Square have noticed that the reconstruction is being carried out quite rapidly, so some restaurants hope that they will be able to welcome guests in the summer. In addition, while cafes are accessible, you can renew yourself. Then the tourists will not only be tempted by the Town Hall Square, but also the restaurant environment.

« Both the Old Town and the Town Hall Square addicted to tourist flows. After all, the Old Town is not a place to be very chosen by local guests.

I think the Old Town itself still has its own beauty, and the work will be started by the renewed society, which unites various restaurants, and it will offer all kinds of ideas on how to attract people. I think there is a very beautiful future, ”says Justas Lesčiukaitis, the manager of Piano Piano, Dejavu and other catering establishments.

He took the position that some businesses may actually feel stressed because he thinks that people may not return to the Town Hall Square, but he wants to believe that the reconstruction is a temporary disturbance.

« We talk to both businesses and local authorities. It is clear that everyone wants the old town to be attractive, full of life. When the square is opened, people will come to see what it looks like, and the outdoor cafes will have a job now.

J. Lesčiukaitis told Kauno diena that the reconstruction time of Town Hall Square is used to renovate the restaurant spaces. « Other such occasions may not be, so we manage the kitchen, other spaces to make everything new. Now we have the opportunity to repair the spaces to keep it calm, » he said.

Position: Some entrepreneurs of the Town Hall Square think they will not survive, others use their reconstruction time to return their spaces. / Photo by Regimantas Zakšensk

Influx of visitors

Although the managers of public mythical institutions do not hide that the season of outdoor cafes depends directly on the air, there should be no shortage of visitors in Laisvės Alley, as businesses are already in place of various musical programs.

« If the weather is warm – the terrace is full. People’s flows are currently concentrated on Sobor and the section from the fountain to Maironio Street. We expect a good season in Laisvės Alley. There are other, attractive visitors. Typically, 5-8 larger events play music on outdoor terraces per season, ”said P. Tamošiūnas about the season of the New Town Field Café.

« There will be many lights, sound, music in Laisvės Alley. Both at the fountain and elsewhere.

Interviewed restaurant managers unanimously claimed that Kaunas residents and guests of the city would also be attracted to outdoor terraces with special events, so it is expected that it will help to keep not only existing customers, but also attract new ones.