Summer guinguettes could be delayed again

Brussels Environment has once again not yet published the tender for the summer bars that are permitted to open in six Brussels parks, even though the first terraces traditionally open in mid-April.

The summer bars - or guinguettes - in parks managed by Brussels Environment have been a fixture since 2017, opening in Parc du Cinquantenaire, the Parc Duden (Forest), Parc Georges Henri (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert), Parc du Bon Pasteur (Evere), Laeken Park and Parc Roi Baudouin (Jette).

Last year, the opening of the guinguettes was delayed by the absence of a fully-fledged Brussels government.

This year, while the sunshine and mild weather of recent days have seen many terraces reopen, the hospitality sector is once again anxious about the lack of a public tender for the guinguettes.

The open-air bars traditionally run from mid-April to the end of September, but some of their usual suppliers are concerned about the timing of this year’s tender.

“The disappearance or postponement of the start-up of the bars puts more than 150 direct jobs at risk,” one supplier said.

“It would also damage an entire network of Belgian suppliers who rely on the income from these seasonal terraces.”

François de Villers, head of Barc, the company that has been running the bars since these guinguettes were established, did not wish to comment at this stage but has previously expressed his concern about the late tender.

Brussels Environment, which is responsible for the tender and the final selection of the operator, once again partnered with Barc last year to ensure the opening of the summer bars.

It remains unclear exactly when the tender will be made public. Lynn Tobback, spokesperson for Brussels Environment, said discussions were still ongoing.