Brussels-City gets 24 bars and restaurants to open up toilets to public

In co-operation with Brussels-City, 24 bars and restaurants have joined the ‘hospitable toilet network’, allowing anyone to enter and use the toilet without ordering anything.

The municipality put out a call earlier this year for catering services to sign on to the network so that it could increase the number of public toilets available. All of the businesses have put a sticker in their window to indicate that their toilets can be used without obligation.

About half of the restaurants and bars that have signed on are in the city centre, but a good many are in Laeken. There are two in the northern quarter, two in Neder-over-Heembeek and two in Haren. A list of the bars and restaurants can be found here.

The 24 establishments have already signed an agreement with Brussels-City, but 20 more have also agreed to become part of the network. Once those agreements have been signed, stickers will go in those windows as well, and they will be added to the list.

For its part, the city provides funding to help keep the toilets clean. The city is working to get 50 businesses on board within the next few months and hopes for 70 by the end of next year.

Photo courtesy Le Roy d’Espagne