The world-renowned beer paradise Munich, home to the folk festival Oktoberfest, is getting its first alcohol-free biergarten (beer garden), reports The Guardian.
The large outdoor serving area with zero percent alcohol is set to open at the central station. Factors contributing to this are said to be the decrease in beer consumption with alcohol in Germany and the growing discontent among Munich residents towards rowdy tourists.
The outdoor serving area will be operated by nearby restaurants and hotels, but will only be open for a week before Oktoberfest. Therefore, it will not be an alternative during the traditional beer festival.
The outdoor serving area allows for brought-in food and offers live music and youth parties.
One of those who will operate the serving area is bar owner Florian Schönhofer, who claims that the project has received positive reactions.
Despite this, we will probably make a loss, he says to Die Zeit.
The beer garden will be open from July 18 to September 15, a week before Oktoberfest begins.