The number of bars in Luxembourg has been declining steadily for years. While every case is different, some problems come up repeatedly, including high rents and restrictions on serving food. One such case is Beim Tuttes Pier in Diekirch, which is set to close its doors at the end of the month.
Tucked away next to the Kluuster car park rather than in the pedestrian zone, Beim Tuttes Pier was opened by Pier Wagner, a professional firefighter who took two years of unpaid leave to launch the venture. His aim was to create a place where members of the emergency services in particular could meet and talk about their experiences on call-outs.
But Wagner says the project ran into difficulties from the outset. The rent payable to the Diekirch brewery was €6,000 a month. The business was also supposed to generate income from six rooms on the floors above the bar, but when it opened in March 2025, the rooms were not yet ready.
Wagner said he had made clear from the beginning that he would not pay the full €6,000 while the rooms remained unfinished. The brewery subsequently reduced the rent to €3,000, but he said this did not solve the underlying problem.
"Bringing in €3,000 from drinks alone was very difficult", he said, particularly for a bar that, according to Wagner, had had a poor reputation before he took it over.
Wagner said he was not always able to pay the full monthly rent, and the brewery has since launched legal proceedings, which it confirmed when contacted. However, no representative of the brewery wished to comment on the matter on record.
Wagner explained that to increase revenue, he also wanted to serve food, including one or two daily specials and a small menu of dishes such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and chips. He stressed that the intention was never to turn the bar into a full restaurant.
The kitchen, however, was not operational, according to Wagner. He said customs officials had told him several times that he could not prepare food there because it was in a very poor condition after the premises had stood closed for four years.
As the lease only refers to premises licensed to sell drinks, the brewery refused to invest in upgrading the kitchen.
According to Steve Martellini, director of Horesca, Luxembourg's hospitality federation, many first-time bar operators do not realise how much seemingly minor details in a contract can affect their business. He therefore urged prospective operators to examine agreements carefully before signing.
Contracts with breweries and other suppliers can run to more than 60 pages of terms and conditions, Martellini noted. "Take the time you need to really check what you are renting", he advised.
He added that if a lease covers only a drinks establishment rather than a restaurant, the kitchen does not necessarily have to meet the same standards as one intended for restaurant use.
Horesca also offers advice to people looking to open a bar, including help drawing up a viable business plan.
Beim Tuttes Pier will close at the end of August, with bankruptcy proceedings having been filed, according to Wagner. For now, the prospect of a new operator taking over the premises appears unlikely.
