The restrictions apply to Päijät-Häme, South Karelia, southwestern Finland and New Zealand.
The last order request rings at 10 pm in restaurants in Central Ostrobothnia, Kanta-Häme, Kymenlaakso, Länsi-Pohja and Pirkanmaa. Meanwhile, restaurants elsewhere in the country must stop offering alcohol at midnight and close by 1 p.m.
The capacity of mainly alcoholic beverage establishments will be limited to 50 per cent and the capacity of mainly food establishments to 75 per cent of normal full capacity in much of the country, the government also decided. Restaurants must also assign a place to each guest and ensure that no dancing or karaoke singing takes place.
The seating requirement also applies to the outdoor terraces of restaurants, unlike capacity restrictions and dance bans.
Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday wrote that the amendments were poorly received by the restaurant industry.
“Two more hours of service will not save anyone. There is no point in even forcing the bars to stop at 6pm, as the bars can open in the morning anyway. Couldn’t you drive hours off in the morning and add them to the evening? Asked Tomi Söderström, Bottan CEO.
Botta operates Manala and St. Urho’s pub in Helsinki.
According to him, restaurants should give alcohol until at least 9pm to ensure that they can also “bring home the so-called.” Now customers have to come in before 7pm if they want to drink something containing alcohol and have time to eat by 8pm. in a hurry. ”
According to the Finnish Hospitality Association (Mara), the government should have allowed restaurants to serve alcohol at least until 10pm and be open until 11pm in light of a recent decision by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
“There is no longer any legal basis for strict restrictions,” said Timo Lappi, CEO of Mara.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page