The pop-up café Chez Liza in Koekelberg has permanently closed its doors, ending a brief tenure near the Elisabethpark.
The project, which launched earlier this year as a collaboration between three friends, ceased operations after a series of administrative and security complications, BRUZZ reported. The founders initially intended to operate the space as a temporary pop-up before transitioning into a permanent neighborhood café after the summer. “We decided not to continue with the project,” Philip Swinnen, one of the founders, told BRUZZ.
“That goes purely on our feeling. The relationship with the municipality went a bit more difficult than expected. We asked for a terrace permit, for example, because it was 30 degrees, but it never came.”
The situation escalated in July when police raided the non-profit organization located above the café. Authorities sealed the entire building from late July until early September, an event Swinnen described as “the final straw.”
The municipality of Koekelberg confirmed that the project’s legal standing changed in September. In 2024, the town had established a convention with the non-profit behind Chez Liza, allowing for the free use of the municipal space.
“The municipal council decided in September to terminate the convention prematurely because important agreements were not met and, after the aforementioned events, public order and safety were at stake,” the cabinet of Olivia P’Tito (PS) stated. The municipal administration added that it regrets how the partnership concluded, noting that it had previously attempted to support the initiative.
Despite the closure, the partners intend to remain active in the hospitality sector. Swinnen said that the team had already invested several thousand euros into electrical and sanitary upgrades for the Koekelberg site, costs they now hope to partially recover.
“We had wonderful weeks here and it was running well,” Swinnen told BRUZZ. “But because the feeling in the long term is not right, we decided not to continue. We are now looking for a new project.”
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