Filenews 13 March 2021 - by Dora Christodoulou
The data change and the sharing of the "pie" in terms of commercial traffic in the port of Kato Paphos.
As "F" reveals, one of the largest food chains in Cyprus, managed by some of the best known food and coffee companies, enters the showcase of Cypriot tourism.
This is PHC Franchised Restaurants Public Ltd, owned by Lysandros Ioannou. It is the group that has under its management responsibility in Cyprus brands of the catering sector such as Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, Wagamama, Caffè Nero, PAUL, Burger King, Jamie's Italian and which employs more than 2,800 people.
The group has even proceeded to rent three premises in the port, with the intention of converting one of them into Caffè Nero and the other two into restaurants, most likely Pizza Hut and Wagamama. The agreement, according to our information, will be signed within days between the company, the Port Authority and the Municipality of Paphos.
Due to the economic part of the agreement, considered one of the largest of its kind signed in Paphos, a settlement has been made which provides that in the shops of the land area of the port will be allowed the installation of vertical protective shades during the winter months, in order to protect the outdoor area of the shops from ripples and winds.
It is worth noting that until now this is not allowed, which according to the entrepreneurs creates a serious economic problem for them, since in essence it de-exploits the shops during the winter season with severe weather events. However, due to the importance of the agreement with this chain of focus, The Port Authority and Paphos Municipality appear willing to change this status, which is expected to be reflected in writing so that the signatures fall from a week' s time. An important aspect of the agreement is that in view of the approval for the use of vertical shadows, companies will only use the space in front of the premises and not on the opposite side, despite the sea, which will now remain free for pedestrians.
The development is considered vital for the survival of all businesses in the region, even by entrepreneurs who traditionally operate in the port with businesses such as fish taverns, restaurants and cafes. As some of them stated in "F", although under normal circumstances a place that is the trademark of a tourist area should move with different types of businesses from the global chains that exist everywhere, however the economic disaster from the pandemic now welcomes any move that brings commercial activity today.
"The type of food and drink business that this company represents will obviously bring to the port new customers, especially young people and groups who in recent years have left the cafes in the area and moved to the centre of Paphos, after its development. This is a development that is considered very positive by all, since the decline of commercial traffic in the port and the pier of Paphos is so great that it has annihilated the profit for everyone. Therefore, any move that revitalizes our region is positive for everyone."
