Pay up or close: the dilemma facing restaurant owners in the Beirut Port blast zone

  • Date: 21-Sep-2020
  • Source: Arabian Business
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Lebanon
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Pay up or close: the dilemma facing restaurant owners in the Beirut Port blast zone

Owners of restaurants badly impacted by the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, are facing a tough dilemma as they desperately fight for survival.

They have the choice of paying for repairs to the damage to their businesses without waiting for governmental aid or keeping the doors closed and waiting for aid or compensation from insurance companies.

Many have told Arabian Business that they want more clarity on the political scene before deciding to invest again in this sector, which has suffered heavy losses due to the severe economic crisis and the spread of coronavirus, pushing many businesses to close, with tens of thousands of restaurant jobs lost.

The massive explosion devastated entire Achrafieh neighbourhoods like Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, unleashing a new wave of misery for business owners.

Half of the 2,100 bars