Half of big gastronomic Belgian restaurants are struggling financially, De Tijd reported on Saturday. Ten of the country’s top 20 restaurants have suffered losses over the last three years.

Only four restaurants made money: De Karmeliet, Slagmolen, Bartholomeus and Le Châlet de la Foret.

Many starred restaurants have high staff costs, and chefs have trouble making their business profitable. Belgium is among the countries with the highest number of Michelin starred restaurants, which makes it particularly competitive.

The sector is also very worried about the installation of smart tills, from the 1st of January.

Maria Novak (Source: Belga)