Terrace fees are a problem in Lahti - entrepreneurs in the city centre appeal to the city to moderate the fees

A turquoise coffee cup and a metal cone ashtray on a round terrace table in a market landscape. In the background, at the tables, a few male figures. Farther on, a figure in a green coat walks across the square. there's a man sitting next to me — In Lahti, you can get your first taste of outdoor terraces already during the Salpausselkä race week, but the actual terrace season starts in late spring.

The corona discount on terrace fees will be abolished, and the entrepreneur will now have to apply for a terrace permit every year. The fee per square metre discourages people from investing in the comfort of their terrace.

Cafe and restaurant owners are upset about the terrace fees charged by the City of Lahti and their changes.

In future, you will have to re-apply for a terrace permit every year, and the interest period discount will be abolished. The fee is now back to 2019 levels, meaning that the price in summer will be between €7 and €11 per square metre per month, depending on the zone. Last year, the amount was halved.

Previously, a permit was also available for a period of five years.

Entrepreneurs are making an appeal

According to Pipsa Wirtanen, executive director of the city development association Lahti City, the information about the changes came late and as a surprise, since the general increase in prices has already made it difficult for entrepreneurs to operate.

Wirtanen considers payment based on square meters unwise from the city’s point of view. The entrepreneur also has to pay for comfort-enhancing factors with his square meter rent.

Pipsa Wirtanen, executive director of Lahti City, sits at a table on the outdoor terrace with two pale coffee cups on a round table in front of her. — Pipsa Wirtanen, Executive Director of Lahti City Association, hopes that the city will reciprocate with terrace fees.

– Many entrepreneurs invest large sums in beautifying the terrace and at the same time the urban environment. The city should encourage more comfort, and not punish it, he states.

Wirtanen also suspects that the investment in the comfort of the terrace will decrease and the size will decrease if the payment exceeds the pain limit.

The entrepreneurs and the association plan to send a petition to the city to moderate the fees. At the same time, alternative contract models are presented. This could be, for example, a fee charged according to customer locations.

– You might think that if you really invest in comfort, do you really need to pay rent for it?