However, some people expressed frustration at this arrangement. A Facebook post last year complained that he was blocking access to pedestrians after a diner moved their chair, and activists stuck ‘Il- Bankini taċ-Ċittadini’ stickers to his chairs as part of a wider protest. Some of the cafeteria’s chairs still bear the marks of these stickers.

Buhagiar said that last August, officials from the Malta Tourism Authority ordered him to remove his outdoor tables and chairs due to a risk that pedestrians could be forced to walk into the middle of the road and get run over by a moving vehicle. He said that Valletta mayor Olaf McKay also informed him to remove these tables.

He inquired further with the local council on how to obtain an encroachment permit, and the council referred him to the Lands Authority, which told him to submit an application and, pending consent by Lands, to the Planning Authority for a permit.

However, Buhagiar warned he is being singled out as several Valletta eateries still place tables and chairs outside their establishments and the PA’s map server doesn’t indicate that they have a permit to do so.

Buhagiar also warned he was treated unfairly during two recent major events – New Year’s Eve 2023 and Notte Bianca 2024. He said that during New Year’s Eve, Frascati placed a speaker outside and hired a DJ to play music on the top floor while facing out of the window.

He said that although the council informed him that he didn’t need an amplified music permit, the police ordered him to turn off the speaker and warned him they would confiscate it they find it outside again. When he inquired at the police station, he said the police told him they have no information that other Valletta establishments had placed a speaker outdoors, even though he could see several DJs, speakers and live bands playing with his own eyes.

During Notte Bianca, he applied to the council for a one-time encroachment permit but was told they are no longer issuing such permits. Frustrated after observing several establishments placing tables and chairs outdoors, he placed a few tables outside his cafeteria anyway and was criticised for it.

Buhagiar is asking for some clarity about the situation and is insisting that everyone should be made to follow the same rules.

“The authorities are always trying to shirk their responsibility and give straight answers, especially the local council in whose interests it should be to control and know what’s going on in it’s own city. The council says one thing and the Valletta police say another; they sound like a divorced couple who do not want to talk to each other anymore.”

Contacted by Lovin Malta, Valletta mayor Olaf McKay said the new council is working on a security parameter plan, along with residents and business owners and with the assistance of the Valletta Management Plan.

“The relevant authorities, such as Lands, the MTA, the Planning Authority and the police, continuously carry out inspections and enforcement action on all establishments to ensure they are in line with the law on tables and chairs,” he said.

“We are committed to finding a balance between residents and business to make the capital better and more beautiful, all while maintaining the beauty and safety of the city. It is worth noting that the council does not have enforcement powers.”