COVID-19 has claimed another victim – this time in the form of Noma’s sister restaurant, 108 Copenhagen. It is a further sign of the significant hit high-end restaurants have taken as a result of reduced tourism in the city.
A brief, bright burst
Described by Bloomberg in its opening week as “more fun than the best restaurant in the world”, 108 Copenhagen celebrated its four-year anniversary in July this year.
Just six months after its opening, the restaurant picked up a Michelin star for its quality food. With a focus on affordable fine-dining, it was a firm favourite with foodies the world over.
Difficult times
Despite these successes, in a Facebook post on Monday, head-chef and co-owner Kristian Baumann described the problems faced by the restaurant in recent times.
With the pandemic slashing the numbers of international visitors, he claims that the operation is no longer “economically sustainable” in its current form. It is an issue that has impacted a number of restaurants, with Bloomberg reporting in June that over 2 million restaurants were at risk of closure.
This decision will come into effect this month, with those wishing to get a final taste able to do so until its final opening day on September 30.
Hope of a kind
This marks the end of the road for Baumann’s role in the project but, having avoided bankruptcy, the remaining owners are hopeful of opening a new restaurant at the premises later in the year.
Without the head-chef and Noma alumnus, it is unclear exactly what kind of eatery this will be. For his part, Baumann maintains a hope that 108 will return to Copenhagen at a later date, albeit in a new location.
