Many restaurant and eatery owners on Nguyen Van Tuyet Street (Hanoi) say they are disheartened - and even considering closing down - after seeing a drastic drop in weekend foot traffic since the area was transformed into a pedestrian-only food street.

From crowded weekends to empty tables

Nguyen Van Tuyet Food Street launched during the Lunar New Year (Tet) of the Year of the Snake and has since become Hanoi’s third designated food walking street. Every Saturday and Sunday evening, from 6 p.m. to midnight, the street is closed to motor vehicles.

However, after more than two months of operation, the food street has not drawn the crowds that many vendors had hoped for. On the evening of Sunday, March 31, most eateries remained quiet even during typical dinner hours.

Many business owners believe the lack of customers stems from the vehicle restrictions. With the street spanning a long stretch, many potential diners are reluctant to walk the distance.

One eatery stood completely empty during dinner time. Nguyen Dac Manh Linh, a restaurant manager, said that while weekday business remains stable, weekends - once the most profitable time - have seen a sharp decline.

“Before the walking street opened, weekends were our golden time for revenue. The restaurant was always fully booked. But now we’re struggling - our customer count and weekend revenue have dropped to about 40% of what they used to be,” Linh said.

“Everything from ingredients to kitchen staff has been cut back on weekends. Our restaurant has five floors, but tonight the kitchen is cold. We only have one chef and a couple of assistants working,” he added.

Inside the eatery owned by Nguyen Xuan Minh, the scene was equally bleak - no customers, with staff idle and waiting. Minh has operated his restaurant on Nguyen Van Tuyet since 2019, but says business has taken a downturn this year due to the weekend traffic ban.

“Last year, Saturdays and Sundays were always packed. But now, it's dead. Tonight, I haven't had a single customer. Many of my regulars no longer visit on weekends because of the walking restrictions and the inconvenience of parking. I’m paying tens of millions of dong (thousands of dollars) per month for rent, but with losses mounting, I’m thinking of closing,” Minh shared.

Vũ Văn Trung, who runs a pub nearby, is also seeing the impact. From afternoon to evening, he served just one table.

“When people go out to eat or drink, they don’t want to park far away and walk hundreds of meters. I think it would make more sense to only ban cars and allow motorbikes. Besides, this street doesn’t really have any major attraction to draw tourists, so it’s no surprise it’s so quiet,” Trung said.

Smaller eateries also suffer, with barricades at both ends of the street blocking customer access. One café owner shared that every weekend evening, they have to turn off food delivery apps because delivery drivers can’t enter to pick up orders - despite these services accounting for a significant share of sales.

Even a large, well-known beer restaurant in the area was experiencing the same struggle.

Previously, this street saw a steady stream of customers. Now, with vehicle restrictions in place, many simply turn around when they see the roadblocks.

Currently, Hanoi has three designated food walking streets: Tong Duy Tan; Dao Ngoc - Ngu Xa; and Nguyen Van Tuyet.

The Bang