At Bæjarins Bestu, Hometown Hot Dog Heroes Brave The Storm

If you don’t know about this afternoon’s storm by now, then you’re in for an unwelcome weather surprise. We’re supposed to get some crazy winds here in Reykjavík (between 35m/s and 50m/s), to the point that folks are strongly encouraged to stay inside from 17:00 today until Tuesday afternoon. Some roads will probably close as well, meaning that many restaurants, stores, and workplaces will call it a day a little earlier than usual (including, it seems, some healthcare facilities). One place, though, isn’t calling it quits – crazy weather or no.

Tonight, Snæbjörn, a noble employee of Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, will be manning the hot dog stand throughout the peak of the storm. We snuck in a quick chat with him this afternoon; just as the line behind us swelled with hungry customers, the winds began to blow ominously.

Though he hasn’t ever worked during such serious conditions, Snæbjörn seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, telling us, “I’m not really scared. There are heaters in here, so I’ll be warm while I wait out the storm.”

He doesn’t expect a lot of business either, so he’s brought a book to read to keep him occupied. Whether or not there are many (or any) customers tonight, he thinks it’s important to stay open despite the unfortunate weather conditions: “We don’t want people to come to closed doors.”

As you settle into your warm blankets and hot drinks tonight, know that someone out there is ready to do his job. While we might wait until later this week to thank him in person, we’d like to electronically express our gratitude for his service.

Takk fyrir, Snæbjörn Þorri, for all that you do.

—

Follow our #rvkstormpocalypse liveblog via the preceding hashtag. Contribute your own tweets to the mix! Be safe!
#rvkstormpocalypse Tweets