- About 180,000 temporary outdoor dining permits were issued in 2021
Italy has long been known for its al fresco dining: a local way of life for Italians and an attractive way to enjoy a meal for tourists.
But many Italians are now turning their backs on outdoor dining traditions as the amount of street space taken up by tables has increased as much as fivefold in the past three years.
Locals are tired of tables and chairs clogging sidewalks and ending up in parking lots, as well as increasing noise pollution in the already bustling city center.
Outdoor dining took Italy by storm in 2021 after the easing of Covid restrictions, which greatly simplified the process for restaurants and bars applying for permits for outdoor seating.
This allowed food and beverage establishments to stay afloat as the country waded through a time of economic instability – by retaining customers who were not allowed to sit inside.
Many Italians are turning away from al fresco dining, a popular tradition of outdoor dining in Italy, because they are tired of the increase in noise pollution and the public space taken up by tables.
Italian Business Minister Adolfo Urso revealed that the government plans to renew some 180,000 temporary permits issued to companies during the pandemic as early as this summer.
Since then, as many as 180,000 temporary permits have been issued to eateries across Italy, according to the Economic Research Institute Foundation (FIPE).
Enterprise Minister Adolfo Urso said Thursday that the Italian government has made plans to extend the temporary permits indefinitely as early as this summer.
“We believe this is an opportunity to make restaurants even more conducive to conviviality and urban decorum,” Urso said in a statement.
But the announcement was met with a backlash from councilors in Rome who called the plans ‘absurd and unacceptable’.
In November, councilors had devised stricter measures on where outdoor seating would be allowed after capital data showed the amount of space taken up by outdoor seating had grown from 21,000 sq ft to 112,000 sq ft since 2021.
“It is absurd and unacceptable that the central government unilaterally makes decisions about local authorities,” Monica Lucarelli, Rome’s vice mayor for trade, said in a statement.
“We have been working tirelessly on a new scheme, taking into account the different urban characteristics of the city.”
Since the pandemic, the sight of wooden tables draped in fabric and lining the cobblestone streets has increased dramatically.
Images usually show sidewalks becoming narrower due to the amount of furniture lining them as tourists flood the city in search of their next traditional al fresco meal under the Italian sun.
Carlo Rienzi, head of consumer group Codacons, spoke out against plans to extend the temporary permits, saying it was “a violation of the city of Rome that destroys its beauty.”
He also called the sea of plastic sheeting “monstrous” and warned that the group “will provide all possible resistance.”
Further north, Milan explained that the al fresco dining boom had made Italy’s second most populous city uninhabitable.
Locals revealed that many services, such as butchers and dry cleaners, had closed to make room for restaurants because “it seems like people just want to eat and drink in their spare time,” one resident said. The times.
But while the plans have been met with much opposition, not everyone is against the license extensions.
Entrepreneurs and restaurant workers claim that al fresco dining has an appeal that attracts locals and tourists, making it excellent for business and ‘fundamental to survival’.
Many tourists also agree with the expansion plans, claiming that the relaxation or removal of outdoor dining will take away from the country’s traditions.
Annual permits for bars and restaurants typically cost between €1,000 and €4,000, depending on the size of the space required and the location.