COVID-19 has demanded another victim – this time in the form of Noma’s sister restaurant, 108 Copenhagen. It is a further sign of the marked hit high-end restaurants have taken as a result of reduced tourism in the city.
A short, light burst
108 Copenhagen was described by Bloomberg in the opening week as “more fun than the best restaurant in the world” and celebrated its four-year anniversary in July this year.
Just six months after opening, the restaurant picked up a Michelin star for its quality food. With a focus on affordable eateries, it was a firm favorite with foodies around the world.
Difficult times
Despite these successes in a Facebook post Monday, head chef and co-owner Kristian Baumann described the restaurant’s problems in recent times.
As the pandemic cuts down on the number of international visitors, he claims the operation is no longer “economically viable” in its current form. This is an issue that has affected a number of restaurants with Bloomberg reporting in June that over 2 million restaurants were in danger of being closed.
This decision comes into force this month, where those who want to get a final taste can do so until the last opening day on 30 September.
Hope for one friendly
This marks the end of the road for Baumann’s role in the project, but after avoiding bankruptcy, the remaining owners are hopeful of opening a new restaurant on the premises later in the year.
Without the head chef and the Noma alumnus, it is unclear exactly what kind of eatery this will be. Baumann, for his part, maintains a hope that 108 will return to Copenhagen at a later date, albeit in a new place.
Source: The Nordic Page