“Top days of 600 bottles of rosé and turnover of up to 20,000 euros, but things have to disappear.” How battle between Knokke beach bars leads to unrest and suspicion

“Good neighbors are suddenly competitors. Everything has changed into tough business.” The Knokke beach bars are slowly starting their summer, but behind the scenes a heavy storm is approaching. In July, the operators will hear who can stay and who must disappear from the profitable beach, which generates up to 1.5 million euros in turnover per season. In an unprecedented procedure, 36 candidates compete for just 26 concessions. This leads to unrest, suspicion and panic. We set out in Knokke, where those involved only dare to respond anonymously: “Life’s works are being swept away here.”

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