North Rhine-Westphalia: High activity in beer gardens different than before the pandemic

The main thing is outside: beer gardens and cafés with terraces are currently jam-packed.

North Rhine-Westphalia: High activity in beer gardens different than before the pandemic

The main thing is outside: beer gardens and cafés with terraces are currently jam-packed. After two years of Corona, the guests have a lot of catching up to do, says the Dehoga restaurant association. However, the proportion of business travelers is still small.

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The summer weather that has lasted for weeks has been attracting people to beer gardens, cafés with terraces and restaurants with gardens. The hotel and restaurant association Dehoga NRW explained that many guests had a need to catch up after the corona restrictions. But: Even if beer gardens and excursion restaurants are often full, not everything is as it was before the pandemic.

"We find that the positive development of the last few weeks is primarily driven by private demand," said Patrick Rothkopf, President of Dehoga NRW, the dpa. Business travel in particular is still lagging behind. Here we are still a long way from the times before the pandemic: while some make more sales, other restaurateurs and hoteliers earn less. According to the State Statistical Office, total hospitality sales this May were 13.6 percent lower than the same month three years ago.

Rothkopf said that the industry's long-awaited take-off after the corona restrictions were lifted will also be strongly influenced by the current challenges. The labor shortage has also worsened in the hospitality industry due to the pandemic. Visitors to restaurants can notice this in a reduced menu, longer waiting times, a trend towards pick-up or changed opening hours. The strong price increases for energy and food made it difficult for restaurateurs and guests alike, according to Dehoga.