Coronavirus Tighter restrictions could still be accepted at a restaurant in Helsinki, even though Korona is already causing tournament fatigue

Waitress-shift manager Natalia Sjomina pour Heikki Aisalan glass of red wine.

Non-alcoholic, as usual.

“Surprisingly tannic. There will be a nice taste, ”says Heikki Aisala.

Aisalat, Heikki and Tanja, go on a mini-holiday in the capital a few times a year. That’s how they were on Tuesday night, too.

Now they chose the fine dining restaurant Passion on Kalevankatu as their dinner restaurant.

It’s six o’clock. The 60-seat restaurant has about twenty customers.

Samana day-to-day restrictions have been introduced. According to them, the restaurant should end at 5 p.m.

Passion restaurateur Jussi Hukkanen says the ever-changing corona constraints feel stressful, and the tournament fatigue caused by the viral epidemic is already severe.

“We are all in the same boat with the corona, and in that sense the limitations are understandable,” Hukkanen says.

However, he would like the government to be clear about how this is communicated. Now, communication has been confusing, and some of the practicalities associated with restrictions have been sprinkled on various sides.

“The government has also not offered the kind of exit strategy it should offer,” he says.

Tuesday was not the first time a restriction on drinking times was introduced. There was a similar situation ahead last spring.

Restaurants are allowed until 20:00. According to the Alcohol Act, beverages containing alcohol must be collected one hour after the light signal, ie at 6 p.m.

“The extension of the hand given by the government is therefore an expense item. The restaurant must be prepared to provide a sufficient number of staff to work. However, when the sale of alcohol ends at 6 pm, the income stream it brings will also be cut off, ”says Hukkanen.

Passio is one of the few restaurants open in the center of Helsinki every day. Monday was lively but still lagging behind pre-corona epidemic customer numbers. At that time, the tables were almost full during the evening, even on weekday evenings.

Hukkanen’s restaurant employs ten people. The corona epidemic has not led to layoffs, but staff have had to be laid off.

About everything despite that, Passio made a profit last year. It required hard work and new ideas.

“During the first shutdown, we set up our first online store to take food home. I drove the broadcasts mainly myself, ”says Hukkanen.

The work may sound laid back to an outsider. However, the restaurateur had only been ill with the corona himself a little earlier. There was even less information about the viral disease then than it is today. After that, I felt endlessly tired.

Hukkanen knows that belittling the virus will not help. That is why he also understands why restrictions have been relaxed and re-tightened from time to time as the situation has changed.

“The worst part would have been that the hatches had been kept closed all the time. Fortunately, this has not been done now. People must be allowed to live when the situation allows, ”says Hukkanen.

The restaurant Aisala, who sits at the window table, says their restrictions will not affect their dinner reservations, as they haven’t even ordered alcohol for even a food drink at the time.

Then Tanja Aisala remembers that yes, even the most recent ones make an impact:

“We booked a table tonight at another restaurant to start with. It was called from there and told that the restaurant will remain closed today, ”he says.