Last Friday saw the reopening of many restaurants and dining establishments in Malta after two months shut, as COVID-19 restrictions continue to be lifted in tranches.

When Prime Minister Robert Abela gave the first signal, on 17th May on a party-media interview, that restaurants would soon be allowed to reopen, he also said that pavements and public space outside restaurants may be temporarily taken up to make up for the loss of overall tables due to social distancing measures.

Among the roughly 340 restaurants which received their COVID-19 compliance sticker by 22nd May, when establishments were legally allowed to reopen, was Brass&Knuckle located in Naxxar.

To compensate for the loss of tables in doors and with the go-ahead of the Malta Tourism Authority, Brass&Knuckle occupied the space outside of the restaurant (pictured above), taking up car-parking spaces.

As a result, the Naxxar Local Council this afternoon published an image of the restaurant on Facebook, and complained about the MTA permitting this use of public space without consulting the council, which is a representative of the locality.

It also questioned the safety of such space, questioning what would happen if a car were to lose control.

“This time it was the Malta Tourism Authority’s turn who allowed the occupation of a public space and reduced the parking spaces in Triq l-Oratorju. What about the health and safety of this restaurant’s clients? What if a vehicle loses control?”

Contacted for his response, Brass&Knuckle owner Mark Zammit firstly stressed that safety is a priority for the restaurant, and that in line with regulations, the number of tables indoors has been halved with a 3m space in between each table.

Mr Zammit questioned why the local council failed to get in touch with the restaurant, in order to sort out the issue in a professional manner.

“Local councils should act as ambassadors of the area. Their role is to see that all stakeholders’ concerns are heard, while also attracting business and activity for the locality,” he remarked.

Mr Zammit added that it is therefore unprofessional to call out an establishment like that online, rather than get in touch directly.

He revealed that following the announcement that restaurants would be allowed to reopen, management was quick to email the council informing them of their wish to occupy the space. Mr Zammit said the council replied asking for a floorplan of the restaurant, to which he obliged, but never heard back.

When pressed about the council’s safety concerns should a vehicle lose control, he highlighted that the restaurant is located on a side-road, where cars should not be exceeding 30km/hr.

He also questioned why restaurants in Sliema, St Julians, Paceville and other hotspots should be allowed to make use of their outdoor spaces, highlighting the challenging times the industry is going through.

Following the announcement of the COVID-19 dining area protocols, Mr Zammit promptly ensured all was in line with the law and contacted the MTA for an inspection and compliance sticker.

He emphasised how thankful he was to the MTA, who worked tirelessly to see as many restaurants receive their compliance sticker as quickly as possible.

“We closed our restaurant before the Government ordered us to do so, because we believe that safety is better than cure. We understand the frustration when parking spaces are taken up, however I would like to point out that we will not be blocking any use of the pavement where pedestrians are free to cross,” Mr Zammit said.

“The local council should be collaborating to achieve the best for pedestrians, the community and businesses alike, to move forward and have the best initiatives for us as a community to grow, rather than singling out an establishment that brings business to Naxxar to put us down,” he added.