Restaurants and bars in a number of Dutch cities have been granted permission by local municipalities to extend the size of their outdoor terraces as a result of coronavirus restrictions. Now, as summer winds to a close, the catering industry in Amsterdam is calling on the local municipality to rethink the policy and grant permits for extended terraces throughout the winter.

Extended terraces in Amsterdam

With coronavirus restrictions enforced by the Dutch government limiting the number of customers a business can serve indoors, the municipalities of cities like Amsterdam and The Hague have granted special permission for outdoor terraces to be extended. 

The current rules in Amsterdam state that larger terraces can remain in place until October 1. However, with many experts concerned about a possible coronavirus wave in the autumn, businesses are asking the city council to continue to offer more relaxed permits throughout the winter season.

Impact of coronavirus on the Dutch catering industry

Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), the largest union representing hospitality businesses in the Netherlands, has said the additional space and option for extra tables is vital for the survival of businesses in the capital, arguing that opening times remain restricted and there is “too little capacity” for customers. 

The Amsterdam faction of the Party for Freedom (VVD) supports the call, saying that it would be a “pity” to close terraces in October. Unless restrictions are lifted before October, the VVD says, terraces should remain open so that “people can at least sit outside.”