No new licenses for bars, eateries in center
The City of Athens council decided yesterday to suspend the issuance of new licenses to cafes, bars and restaurants in a number of areas that are considered to have become saturated with such establishments and where the quality of life of residents has been negatively affected. As a result of the two-year moratorium agreed yesterday, no more permits will be issued for eateries, drinking establishments or other entertainment venues in the central neighborhoods of Kolonaki and Gazi, as well as in Pangrati, east of the city center. The city council also decided to set up a committee that will oversee the protection of recently renovated Monastiraki Square to ensure that restaurateurs do not illegally set out tables and chairs. According to the City of Athens, anyone caught doing so will face a fine of 1,100 euros per square meter of space taken up per day.
