After the quarantine was introduced again on November 7, public dining was forced to close in order to stem the coronavirus. But after a silence of some five months, cafes, restaurants, and bars are reopening their terraces on Thursday.
Despite the looming cold spell, some places have reported filling reservations for the next three days.
“Because we can’t have many tables, we have reservations [filled for the next] three days in advance,” said Arminas Darasevičius, head of Somm restaurant in Vilnius. “If it rains, who knows if they’ll come – but maybe they will, everyone is missing [dining out].”
In the five months of downtime, owners of small bars have lost some 100,000–200,000 euros of income each, according to Raimondas Pranka, head of Lithuania’s Association of Bars and Cafes.
And although reservations are coming in, some bars and restaurants are still considering whether to bring staff back from furlough and reopen.
Read more: Lithuania's lockdown exit plan: bars and shopping centres to reopen next week
“They are hesitating because of the rules and strange requirements,” he said. “At present, instead of three tables, you can put only one. The smaller the terrace, the harder it is.”
The limit on working hours, allowing places to open until 21:00, is also a challenge.
“People only go to outdoor bars after 17:00. By serving 2–4 people, you will not earn very much,” said Pranka.
According to the quarantine loosening rules, catering establishments will be allowed to operate between 07:00 and 21:00.
When asked by reporters about the working hours, Prime Minister Ignrida Šimonytė previously said that “one might struggle to think about some risks or safety management after two beers”, causing an outcry from nightlife representatives.
Meanwhile, only two clients will be allowed to sit at a table, more only if they are from the same household. Tables will also have to be spaced two-metres apart.
“If I reopen the terrace, the business will be even more loss-making than now,” Deivydas Praspaliauskas, chef and owner of Amandus in Vilnius, told LRT.lt.
His restaurant needs to serve 20 people to stay in the black, according to Praspaliauskas. Now, they will be only allowed to serve eight.
“[Everyone] will certainly not jump to reopen today,” said Eglė Ližaitytė, head of the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association. According to her, only restaurants located in “strategic places”, like town centres, will reopen.
According to data published by the Baltic News Service, Vilnius has issued 321 permits for outdoor cafes, compared to 445 in 2020, and Kaunas has issued 60, compared to 70 in 2020.
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