One of Europe's Oldest Cafés, Café de Flore, Faces Closure Due to Pandemic

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Despite its centuries-old history and renowned reputation, the café has faced the same difficulties as others during the pandemic.

300-Year-Old Venetian Café Announces Closure

Under the heavy impact of the pandemic, Caffè Florian, a 300-year-old coffee establishment in Venice, has announced its impending closure.

Caffè Florian is one of Europe's oldest cafés, situated in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. Founded on December 29, 1720, the café still maintains its 19th-century interior design.

A Legend Facing Its End

According to reports, Caffè Florian was once voted among the ten most beautiful cafés in the world. As of last December 29th, the café celebrated its 300th birthday. However, due to various factors, what should have been a celebratory occasion has led the café's founder to decide to close its doors when the operating contract expires in 2021. It appears this legendary century-old café will indeed cease operations this year.

Most notably, over the past 300 years, Caffè Florian has hosted countless legendary figures, including Monet, Andy Warhol, Nietzsche, Charlie Chaplin, Hemingway, and many others.

Throughout its 300-year history, Caffè Florian has experienced many glorious moments.

Historical Significance

In the 18th century, Caffè Florian was the only café in the entire city that admitted women. The historic Venice Biennale was also born here – in 1895, Caffè Florian hosted the first Venice Biennale.

Monet's most famous "treasured collection" piece "The Grand Canal in Venice," created in 1908, was also painted here. According to statistics, Monet created over 30 works in this location, earning Caffè Florian the reputation of being Monet's "favorite."

The café has also become a treasure trove for filmmakers, with many Oscar-winning directors particularly fond of shooting scenes here. The Academy Award-nominated films "Summer Hours" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" both featured filming locations at this café.

300th Anniversary Commemoration

Additionally, for last year's 300th anniversary celebration, the Italian National Postal Service specially issued a set of commemorative postmarks for Caffè Florian.

Unique Service Style

As one of the most famous cafés in Venice and worldwide, according to KNEWS video coverage, this café's kitchen is separate from the main hall. In other words, there is no kitchen inside the café itself – food preparation is completed in a kitchen outside the establishment. Prepared meals are placed in black containers, and staff deliver them to the café using a carrying method that can be either single-handed or double-handed, but must ensure that each dish's position remains unmoved during transport. The entire delivery process takes approximately ten minutes, requiring café attendants to undergo rigorous training to provide professional service to customers. This complex transportation process is also one of the reasons for the café's high prices.

Pandemic's Devastating Impact

Today, such a legendary café has lost its former full-house status under the heavy blow of the pandemic. Media reports indicate that Caffè Florian has lost over 6.5 million euros, while the government only provided a subsidy of 160,000 euros and still demanded full rent payment as usual.

According to media statistics, Caffè Florian's total revenue in 2019 reached over 8 million euros, while 2020 revenue fell short of 2 million euros.

The Decision to Close

The person in charge, Marco Paolini, stated that the café currently employs 70 staff members and 100 part-time employees. They now face the challenge of paying full wages to employees and full rent, with costs approximately amounting to 210,000 euros. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the café's operations have come to an abrupt halt. Given the high rental pressure and the fact that 2021 also marks the expiration of the café's franchise rights from the state government, under this heavy pressure, Caffè Florian has decided to close its doors.

Industry-Wide Impact

Over the past year, Caffè Florian is far from the only establishment to suffer severely and close due to the pandemic. Under the shadow of the pandemic, domestic internet coffee chain Lián Coffee, coffee chain brand Costa Coffee, and fashionable coffee brand Man Coffee have all experienced large-scale closures due to the pandemic.

*Image source: Internet

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