Image by Hannah Straily: Café Oven Vande, a restaurant in one of the areas that would be affected by the proposal. They currently have around 50 seats outdoors available, without construction they have 100.
By Cecilie Hemmingsen and Hannah Straily
A new proposal in the municipality of Copenahagen could close outdoor seating for all restaurants, bars and cafes after 10pm. Central areas, such as Nyhavn, are excluded from the proposal.
Tourists are not too fond of the idea, they would prefer to sit outside.
“I look for places where people are sitting outside already. That’s what draws me to a place,” said Kayla Jones, a tourist from Minneapolis Minnesota where colder temperatures are often experienced. “I cherish every moment I’m able to be outside where it’s not too cold to be outside… If I knew a restaurant was closing at 10 where I couldn’t sit outside anymore, I probably wouldn’t choose it.”
The proposal has received a wide variety of reactions. Some Copenhageners are for the proposal seeing as it would help with the noise pollution in their neighborhoods. Others think this would impact the city’s atmosphere.
“I think that’s counterintuitive,” said Dwayne Thompson, a tourist who is currently living in Stockholm. “Scandinavia is known as a place that embraces nature and being outside, so it feels a bit unusual, I wouldn’t support that.”
Audience: could be published for a travel magazine or travel page on a paper such as the NYT, intended for internationals and those wishing to travel to Copenhagen.