May brunches tend to keep restaurants busy, but coronavirus restrictions prevent tables from being fully booked. Restaurants need to entice guests to entice al fresco dining and holidays.
Most of all business is expected on Saturday. Restaurants will have to close their doors in May at 7pm in areas with high infection rates.
"Our table is well reserved for Saturdays, especially for brunch," said SOK’s Director of Accommodation and Food Chain Management, Harri Havia.
About 70 percent of SOK’s 500 restaurants and bars are open on weekends. Their main focus is on food establishments.
Traditional May days, such as Hotel Vaakuna’s 10th-floor restaurant in central Helsinki, have attracted the most interest, Havia said.
"I suspect the chapel terrace is quite crowded, weather permitting," he said.
On Saturday, restaurants can serve brunches and lunches throughout the day, even in areas with the strictest restrictions. According to the CEO of the Finnish Hospitality Association (MaRa) Timo Lappi, restaurants all over Finland have announced a lot of bookings.
"There is a lot of demand," said Lapland.
May package tours for picnics, brunches on Saturday
In addition to Saturday lunches and brunches, the restaurants have invested in outbound dishes.
Restrictions allow only 50 percent of customers ’capacity in restaurants, and some people may not yet be ready to leave indoors.
According to Havia, food has been important throughout the pandemic. In May, take-away food will play a bigger role "May bags" to-go available for dining at home.
"Some restaurants even offer picnic baskets." he said.
Many are expected to gather for a picnic in the parks. In some parts of Finland, gathering restrictions are still in place, but small gatherings are not prohibited.
Bars focus on terraces, nightclubs that are not part of the game
The weather determines the May sales Antti Raunio, CEO of Night People Group, which runs several nightclubs and bars.
"This day in May is very heavy on the terrace, fingers crossed," The ruin said.
Five of the company’s twenty bars, located in Helsinki, Seinäjoki and Kuopio, will be open in May. They highlight the terraces.
"May is the industry’s glimmer of hope, but our expectations – given limited capacity and other constraints – are not high. At present, our targets are fully set after the lifting of the restrictions," The ruin stated.
Lapland, meanwhile, said people were likely to flock to the terraces, saying they were not limited by capacity.