Venice bans kebab shops

Venice authorities have banned kebab shops and other fast-food outlets from opening. The ban aims at preserving ‘decorum and traditions’ of the city. According to The Guardian, Paola Mar, the city’s tourism chief, said: “We want to put the brakes on types of activities which are not compatible with the preservation and development of Venice’s cultural heritage.”

Mar said the city was not opposed to kebabs or other types of fast food, and stressed she did not have a problem with people eating outside, although the consumption of takeaway food in St Mark’s Square is prohibited.

Last year Verona stopped the opening of new kebab shops, while Florence has attempted to clamp down on “foreign food” by ruling that all new restaurants and food shops in the city’s historic centre must ensure at least 70% of their produce is local.