Longer opening hours for summer terraces in Espoo
Opening hours for restaurant terraces in Espoo will be extended by one hour. In the future, terraces may, as a rule, stay open until 11 p.m., harmonising Espoo's practices with the rest of the capital region, which helps us support the restaurant industry. The change is based on the decision of Mayor Kai Mykkänen.
Despite extending the opening hours, the requirements for resident comfort and environmental protection have not unchanged. Terraces may not play music or make disturbing noise after 10 p.m. In addition, the audio equipment must be set up in a way that noise does not create an inconvenience or disturb the neighbourhood. Alcohol service at terraces will have to stop at 11 p.m.
Permit conditions will still be assessed on a case-by-case basis
Under the Alcohol Act, serving licences are the responsibility of the Finnish Supervisory Agency, which can set conditions for each licence. The Agency welcomes Espoo’s policy Espoo and takes account of the policies of city in its decision-making.
However, the decision does not automatically mean that all terraces will be allowed to have the same opening hours. Assessment of the conditions of the alcohol serving licenses will continue to take place on a case-by-case basis, based on the location of the terrace and its environment. For this reason, the rule may not be applied in every case.
For more information, contact:
Marika Lostedt, Head of Business Development Services
marika.lostedt@espoo.fi