Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.06.2014, Qupperneq 14

14
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07 — 2014
Today Sigga may be 60 and her voice
turned hoarse from smoking, but
she’s still going strong. She owns the
successful downtown bar Boston,
which after eight years, shows no
signs of slowing down. Although she
brought her son Jóel into the busi-
ness two years ago and he helps keep
it fresh and up-to-date, booking the
latest DJs and live bands, she’s still
there, working behind the bar. And
when we ventured there early after-
noon on a Friday to chat with her,
it was apparent that the staff was
getting ready for the first round of
patrons to show up at any moment.
Sigga herself was on her first beer.
In the time that you’ve been
running bars, do you feel
like the drinking culture has
changed?
Yes, absolutely, and I think for the
better. For many people my age
the whole point of going out was
to drink until you dropped, but the
new generation has a lot of people
who have studied abroad and been
introduced to a different culture—
they go to the bar after work, have
two beers and then go home. Then
there’s another crowd that doesn’t
go downtown until 10 in the evening
and stays out late, but they don’t get
as drunk as they used to.
So you think it’s going to
keep developing in this di-
rection?
Oh, I really hope so. [She laughs
heartily.] I think it’s simply beautiful
to be able to have a few beers during
the day, and I don’t think that makes
people alcoholics. When I was living
abroad it was normal to see people
drink beer instead of coffee, which
is quite different than what you find
with the coffee-obsessed people of
Iceland. I personally think you sleep
better after having beer than cof-
fee—if I have a cup in the afternoon,
I stay awake all night.
We frequently hear foreign-
ers comment on how lively
the Reykjavík bar scene is
compared to elsewhere. Do
you think there is any truth
to those claims?
Well, we Icelanders of course have
the dark winter during which we
spend long periods indoors. While
this affords us the chance to be cre-
ative and artistic, we can’t just rot
inside and watch TV. We go down-
town to vent, to dance a lot and have
plenty of fun so that we can keep
working through the week. I think
it’s really good that people of all
ages do this and enjoy themselves.
And what do you think
about the trend of downtown
bars giving way to hotels?
I think this hotel obsession in
Iceland is completely nuts. Seeing
building after building being re-
placed by hotels on Laugavegur is
dreadful. It’s the
only main street
we have, and the
tourists that walk
up and down it
aren’t here to just see hotels.
It’s not surprising though that
so many people want to cash in on
the tourism money—the industry is
growing rapidly and the industry is
barely taxed. Meanwhile, bars pur-
chasing alcohol from wholesalers
are paying almost the same price for
it as normal people that go to the al-
cohol store because of how heavily
alcohol is taxed.
You used to only have to pay
24.5% VAT, but after the collapse
it became 25.5% plus an additional
alcohol tax, which means you ba-
sically pay the whole price of the
product again! I don’t give a damn
about spirits, they’re all imported
anyways, but locally-brewed beers
shouldn’t have to pay this extra fee,
the VAT is plenty enough.
How many whale-watching boats
are there at the dock right now?
There weren’t any a few years ago,
and they are there because they
aren’t taxed at all. Can you imagine
what would happen to them if they
suddenly had to pay added taxes?
It’s very difficult to run a bar, and
that’s why so many are closing down
these days. Our Sigmundur [Davíð
Gunnlaugsson, Iceland’s Prime
Minister] promised to remove this
tax if elected, but
since coming into
office I haven’t ex-
actly see him deliv-
er on his promises…
I’ve spoken to some of your
staff members who say you
are frequently the first per-
son in and last person out of
the bar. Is that what it takes
to keep a bar af loat?
Yes. Running a bar isn’t for ev-
eryone, and it isn’t something you
get rich from doing: it’s a 24-hour
job that sometimes leaves you just
about ready to throw in the towel.
I now split the work with my son
Jóel, which is good because he’s still
young, fresh and hungry.
Your son currently owns and
runs an iteration of Sirkus
in the Faroe Islands. Have
you considered opening up a
Reykjavík branch again?
Oh yes, yes I would, but only if we
could find the right kind of space. It
would have to be a small house with
a nice garden.
Sigríður “Sigga” Guðlaugsdóttir’s induction into the world of running bars began by
chance. She was working part-time at a bar in Boston while she was studying film in the
‘80s when the owners suddenly fired the managers and asked her to take their place. She
was hesitant at first, but with time blossomed in the job. After returning home and work-
ing in a few bars in Iceland, Sigga fully committed to the life of a bar manager when she
purchased Sirkus in 2000. The bar quickly attracted all manner of creative and artistic
people, and she ran it successfully for nine years before it was torn down to make room
for a new hotel, which has yet to be built.
Gourmet Experience
- Steaks and Style at Argentina Steakhouse
Barónsstíg 11 - 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 551 9555
argentina.is
Icelandic Bar Life
…Through the eyes of the maternal
figure behind Boston and the
late Sirkus
Words by Tómas Gabríel Benjamin
@Gabrielandmore
Photo by Nanna Dís
Society | Drinking
“I think this hotel
obsession in Iceland is
completely nuts. Seeing
building after building
being replaced with
hotels on the main
street, Laugavegur, is
dreadful.”