Residents oppose deep-frying kitchen in protected Reykjavík timber house

Residents of Vesturgata 3 in central Reykjavík oppose plans for the restaurant chain Reykjavík Fish to open a commercial kitchen with deep fryers in the nearly 200-year-old timber house, mbl.is reports.

Café Rosenberg has ended its operations at Vesturgata 3. A representative of the residents said the café had held a type of restaurant licence limited to light refreshments such as sandwiches, waffles and coffee.

Vesturgata 3 is a protected timber house built in 1841, the residents’ representative said. Converting the premises into a restaurant with deep fryers and longer opening hours would significantly increase fire risks and require stricter fire-safety and ventilation measures, he said.

Because of the building’s age, construction and size, sound and smells easily travel between floors, according to the residents. They said longer opening hours, more customers and deep-frying would substantially increase disruption for those living in the building.

The residents also rejected claims that Reykjavík City had caused unnecessary delays in issuing permits. They said the initial delays resulted from Reykjavík Fish applying for the wrong licences, and that responsibility for entering into commitments before receiving the necessary permits rested with the restaurant’s owner.

The residents said consultation with the building’s owners’ association had also been inadequate. During the first days of construction, before residents had received information about the new tenant, the café floor was varnished without warning. They said the strong smell left the flat above almost uninhabitable.

At a meeting in late May, the owners’ association passed a resolution opposing the planned changes to the business and the building’s common areas. The residents said that position remained unchanged.