The move comes after city authorities intensified enforcement against the illegal use of pavements for business activities.
Customers sit on the shopfront steps rather than spilling onto the pavement (Photo: Manh Quan).
Lofi Lab cafe at 30 To Hieu Street in Hanoi, which opened just 15 days ago, has already begun attracting a stable number of customers across its 150-square- metre premises.
Tien Dat, a co-founder of the cafe, said the business concept was developed at the same time Hanoi authorities stepped up efforts to restore pavement order across the city.
“Knowing we would not be allowed to use the pavement for customer seating, we decided to redesign the space for long-term adaptation,” Dat said.
The cafe set its walls back around two metres from the street, creating an outdoor-style area of nearly 50 square metres next to the pavement.
“You could consider it a ‘fake pavement’ designed for customers who enjoy sitting outside,” he added.
The wall was moved back by two metres to create a pavement-like seating area (Photo: Provided by source).
The remaining 100 square metres indoors has been divided into separate zones, including quiet working corners and mixed-use areas for both work and coffee drinking.
Customers seated beside the pavement can still enjoy the outdoor atmosphere (Photo: Provided by source).
Dat said cafe owners could continue operating successfully if they adapted flexibly to changing policies, even more effectively than during the period when almost every business relied on public pavements.
Manh Hung, owner of a cafe at 14 Hang Chuoi Street, said he had also renovated his premises after authorities prohibited customers from sitting on pavements.
The bar counter was repositioned horizontally to save space and expand the customer area (Photo: Nguyen Ngoan).
“Our cafe opened nearly a year ago. Last year, customers would spill out onto the pavement to enjoy the street atmosphere and fresh air. Now we have redesigned the space to accommodate customers indoors,” Hung said.
The steps in front of the cafe are now used for seating, replacing the previous spillover onto the pavement (Photo: Tran Thanh Cong).
He said the renovation transformed the cafe from a cramped interior seating five people into a more open and modern space capable of serving 11-12 customers at once.
Hung acknowledged that banning pavement seating could initially cost cafes some customers, but said many people were gradually becoming accustomed to sitting indoors instead.
Hanoi authorities are currently gathering public feedback on a draft resolution proposing fines of VND 4-6 million (approximately USD 154-231) for illegally using roads and pavements for markets, food services, retail sales, vehicle repairs, car washing and advertising displays.
At the same time, the Hanoi Department of Construction is consulting on a pilot scheme to regulate pavement use for business activities and support the development of the urban night-time economy.
Under the proposal, organisations, individuals and business households could pay fees to lease sections of roads and pavements for commercial use.
Proposed pavement rental fees in the four former central districts of Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung and Dong Da, as well as food streets and night markets, would be VND 45,000 (approximately USD 1.73) per square metre per month.
Fees on main streets in the former Thanh Xuan, Cau Giay, Tay Ho, Long Bien, Hoang Mai, Ha Dong, Nam Tu Liem and Bac Tu Liem districts are expected to be VND 40,000 (approximately USD 1.54) per square metre per month.
Other streets in those wards and communes, as well as the former Son Tay Town, would face proposed fees of VND 25,000 (approximately USD 0.96) per square metre monthly.
In suburban areas, proposed road and pavement rental fees would be VND 20,000 (approximately USD 0.77) per square metre per month.