IFT Café closed after two-year operation

The IFT Café has been closed for business since yesterday.

Inaugurated in June 2016, and located next to Nam Van Lake, the café was being run by the IFT as a training center for its students. In 2016, the city’s cultural authorities decided to prepare a public tender to hand the café over to a private operator.

The first round of tender was opened by IFT in March 2017 to invite interested parties from the food and beverage industry to rent and operate two spaces at the lake. The tender culminated in successful leases for two shops in August 2017. One of the bidders started their business in January 2018 while the other is under the licensing process.

IFT proceeded to the second round of the open tender from October 2017 to February 2018 for five other shops designated for food and beverage. There were also two successful bidders in this round of the open tender. The shop, in which the IFT Café was located, will be handed over to the successful bidder on June 1 to run a leisure café, while the other shop will be turned into a restaurant offering burgers, pizzas and similar cuisine. However, the owners of the two restaurants will need to apply for the relevant license before beginning operation, according to a statement issued yesterday.

The remaining shops will be included in the third round of the open tender to call for lease and operation in the near future, possibly starting from next month. The project task force expects to bring a brand new recreational experience to residents and tourists by enriching the food and beverage options in the area and combining them with other facilities, such as the shops selling cultural and creative products and pedal boats.