Beijing puts the breaks on big 'wheels' and free-wheelin' before the Games

Last year when it opened its 2nd location here in Beijing, there was a good deal of excitement (at least in our circle of friends) about Kro's Nest. And I'm quite sure the proprietor of said pizza joint (which, by the way, makes some of the biggest "wheels" I have ever seen) were quite excited about the prospect of cashing in on their location outside Workers Stadium's north gate this summer during the forthcoming Olympics. But alas, it appears it is not to be. As reported on China Radio International this morning:

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs in one of Beijing's main nightlife centers and celebrity hangouts are to be closed to help ensure security at an Olympic football venue. A local official says about six restaurants and bars inside the Beijing Workers' Stadium compound will be ordered to suspend operation for more than 20 days before and during the Olympic Games. He says the venues, popular among Beijing residents, would suffer lost business, but the order was issued to guarantee security for the Games.

Security? The only imminent threat Kro's poses is bloating and a logy feeling after leaving. As for clubs like Vic's and Mix, procreation would be the main bullet to avoid. The notion that this is a security issue is a complete farce! In my mind, this is a blatant money grab by BOCOG, which wants people eat the crappy food inside Workers while watching an Olympic soccer match, rather than waiting until after to scarf down a pizza. So if this is going to happen to Workers during the Olympics, what about other nearby areas, such as Sanlitun? I suspect that municipal officials are going to be clamping down on this entire city like a python on a bunny come Games time.

UPDATE: Had a chance to have a brief chat with the owner of Kro's over the weekend as I was leaving (feeling a bit logy after a medium with a couple of friends), and asked him about the situation. His response was two fold: 1) It's nothing that a bottle of baijiu can't fix, and 2) Once he knows what exactly is happening, he'll let everyone else know.

The basic point that he was trying to make to me is that things are still up in the air. And if he does get shut down, Gongti shouldn't be expecting any rent out of him!