Popular seaside café faces closure over off-leash dogs and uncollected waste

A beloved ice cream shop and café at Skårupøre Strand on southern Funen may shut down this summer unless dog owners leash their pets and clean up after them, according to a public appeal from the business owner.

In a Facebook post, Jan Sørensen, owner of Skårupøre Strandcafé, warned that the landowner—who controls both the café’s parking lot and the adjacent beach—has threatened to terminate the lease if the issue persists. The landowner, Hans Christian Krarup, also operates the nearby Skårupøre Camping and has grown frustrated with loose dogs fouling the area near the parking lot and shoreline.

“This is where the problem starts,” Krarup told DR Nyheder, describing how dog walkers park near the café before letting their pets roam freely across the dunes. “Campers and off-leash dogs are a terrible combination.”

Krarup has made clear that if the situation does not improve, he will close the parking lot entirely, effectively forcing the café to shut its doors. Sørensen, who took over the business last year, said he hopes the public appeal will prompt behavior change.

“We don’t want to close,” Sørensen said. “The landowner asked us to do something, so we’re trying to get people’s attention this way.” He noted the café has long been a local landmark, hosting community events and drawing tourists to the coastal area.

For now, the café’s future hinges on compliance. “We just need people to leash their dogs and pick up after them,” Sørensen said. “Changing habits is hard, but that’s our only hope.”