Just after King’s Day, the Netherlands eateries opened again, and it didn’t go unnoticed. The terraces in the city centre of Eindhoven were completely full.
Looking at the crowds and the hustle and bustle of the city centre, you might think it was a weekend. But it was mid-week. The beautiful weather and the end of the months-long (partial) lockdown are why so many people turned up for a great day in the city.
The terraces on the Stratumseind, the Markt, Kleine Berg, and Nieuwstraat were the typical places to be, and there were no vacant seats anywhere to be seen.
‘Don’t quite get it’
“We’ve been waiting patiently for this, for months. It’s lovely, now it’s time,” says a young man on the terrace with a beer in front of him. The restaurant owners were also delighted. “Finally, a bit of a buzz in the company. The staff is happy, looking good again, and so am I,” said Perry Kusters, owner of Queen at the Market.
“I don’t quite get it”, he admits later. “It’s a start, but it’s not what we need yet. If our business is to survive with these opening hours for a year and only open the terraces, then we are not going to make it.”
However, he’s surprised that his business and others can reopen while the hospitals are still full of COVID-19 patients. “I would’ve understood if we still had to stay closed. I like that we’re open, but I don’t quite get it.”
According to the druktemeter (crowd meter) introduced by the municipality last week, the number of visitors in the city centre was at a responsible level. Please check the crowd meter beforehand, if you wish to visit the city centre.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Aroop Bhattacharjee
