In Belgium, pubs and cafes have long been the go-to place for local communities to gather, but in recent times, many of these businesses have struggled to keep their doors open.
According to VRT, between 2013 and 2023, 2,739 cafés or bars shut their doors for good in Flanders. In the space of a decade, Flanders lost nearly a third of its bars.
The closures happen for a multitude of reasons. Inflation, rising energy costs and a decrease in alcohol consumption are all important factors in the current wave of closures.
According to official figures from the Federal Planning Bureau, daily alcohol consumption among Belgians aged 15 and up has
dropped from 14.2% in 2013 to 11.1% in 2018 and is trending toward being as low as 10.5% in 2025.
One bar that recently fell victim to the trend was De Planeet, a popular student bar situated across the street from Thomas More University of Applied Science’s Mechelen campus.
The bar was popular among Mechelen's student organisations and even had a party space below called Club Round. Its departure marks the closure of Mechelen's only nightclub.
Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/The Brussels Times
Ximm Vanhaecke, a former barman at De Planeet, told The Brussels Times: “De Planeet was an iconic bar. Not only for the current generation, but I still hear people talking every week about 'De Planeet, that student bar?'
"For many, it’s nostalgic, and that goes back generations by now. The bar was important for today’s students too. It was cheaper, there was a space to party, and if you went there, you would almost always run into someone you knew."
Vanhaecke had worked in De Planeet since its reopening under new owners and management in February 2024. He explained that when the bar initially reopened, it was packed almost every night, especially Thursday through Saturday.
“Shifts sometimes lasted until 4 or 5 in the morning after parties. For me, that’s a time I look back on with so much joy,” said Vanhaecke. However, the hype around the reopening eventually died down, and fewer clients came to De Planeet. Combined with high operating costs, a growing problem for bars across Flanders, the bar eventually chose to close.
Workers at the bar worried that De Planeet's closure would not be the only one to impact Mechelen. A looming smoking ban on bar and restaurant terraces, which the Federal Government plans to introduce in 2027, may drive more patrons to stay away from nightlife venues.
Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/The Brussels Times
“I was recently working at a summer bar, and someone asked me for an ashtray. Her husband replied: 'Yeah, while it’s still allowed.' And she immediately added: 'Once it’s not allowed anymore, we’ll just stay on our own terrace at home,'” Vanhaecke said.
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Many bars are struggling against the backdrop of slow economic growth and high prices. Locals say De Planeet's fate is just one example in a larger picture, with student hangouts particularly at risk.
“Honestly, I'm not surprised about De Planeet’s closure," said Omar Zayan, a frequent patron of De Planeet. "Having your main customer base be students is unreliable, since you’ll only have a lot of visitors on weekends. I'd also assume the place was pretty empty during the summer since most students go home once exams finish.”
Zayan recently moved to Brussels and lamented that a similar trend of closure could be observed within his new neighbourhood.
“In the short time I’ve lived in Brussels, I see the same things happening; some popular cafes shut down here as well, so that's an indicator of how difficult it is to stay in business these days.”
Last year, Horeca bankruptcies were up 20% compared to the year prior across Belgium, with Brussels losing iconic locations such as the Brasserie Saint-Julien, Bonnefooi, and the Muntpunt Café.
