In an interview with Fréttablaðið, the owner of Session Craft Bar has stated that the financial impact of the government’s actions today is enormous.
Ásmundur Sveinsson is one of the co-owners of the bar that sits in the centre of Reykjavik and is worried about how his business will bounce back from having to close.
A lot of beer has to go
In the interview with the news agency, Ásmundur says, “It simply came to our notice then. People do not run companies from day to day, week to week and from month to month, but further into the future. We have our expertise and what we focus on and it is really a fresh product. We have just ordered a product ahead of time and it is just over a month since we were allowed to reopen and now we have to close it.”
He adds: “We are going to pour out a lot of beer because it does not last.”
Hard times for small business owners
Ásmundur has stated that he understands why he must close his business but it is still disappointing that the bar has been closed for around 7 months out of the 12 during the pandemic.
The co-owner goes on to say that the operation was in a bad state after the last closure and this could not come at a worse time.
“It has taken so much away from our operations for a whole year. We have tried our best and done our best to follow everything, but we are still here, again. We have also worked under restrictions that have had a major impact on our operations. We have been diligent in following all the restrictions that have been set for us and following all the rules, but we are always taking the hit,” says Ásmundur.
He closes his interview stating that “I am a father of three children and this not only affects oneself but the whole family, one’s children and everyone around me.”
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Also you can get regular news from Iceland—including the latest notifications on eruptions, as soon as they happen—by signing up to our newsletter.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
