Café Louise, one of Copenhagen’s most storied – and somewhat infamous – bars will be closing its doors for good at the end of November.
Although the exact reason that the bar’s owners have lost their fight with the city to remain open is unclear, they have announced via Facebook that they are packing it it.
“It is with sadness the we must announce that Café Louise is closing,” states the post on the bar’s Facebook page.
“Unfortunately, we have fought a losing battle to remain open, and although many solutions were offered, we all know that even the gods struggle in vain against stupidity.”
Hot spot
Over the years, Café Louise has often been in the news, and not always for the best of reasons. In February police reported that one out of every three calls for trouble in Nørrebro come from incidents occurring at Café Louise. Copenhagen’s cultural mayor Carl Christian Ebbesen said at that time that he would be taking a closer look at the bar’s licence.
The café has a long, chequered history. A guest was hit in the head and killed during a 2006 incident when a man opened fire with a pistol inside the bar. In 2012, a mass brawl at the bar resulted in the stabbing death of a 38-year-old man.
Some of Café Louise’s neighbours have long wanted the rowdy bar shut down.
“We are deeply tired of the place,” area resident Frederik Faurby told Jyllands-Posten after the stabbing. “The place is a nuisance. There is constant noise and commotion and the police are in front of the place nearly every morning.”
Where everybody knows your name
Many of the regulars expressed their dismay at the loss of their local, no matter how sketchy its reputation.
“I won’t stand for it. Hell no! It’s just wrong,” wrote one.
“It’s the end of an era,” said another.
“I hope they don’t put in another hipster joint instead. Nørrebro will never be quite the same.”
One last hurrah
The owners are reluctant but resigned to the fate of their premises.
“We’re going to miss working at the café but most of all we are going to miss all of our wonderful guests who have helped to enrich our lives in so many different ways,” reads the swan song on Facebook.
READ MORE: Verdicts handed down in Café Louise murder case
Café Louise will close its doors forever on December 1. The owners promised a massive closing party on Saturday, November 26.
