Lisbon, July 1, 2025 (Lusa) - One day after the landlord set the deadline for its closure, Ginjinha Sem Rival in Lisbon remains open, awaiting eviction proceedings, which it will contest in court, the manager said on Tuesday.
Located in the historic area of Lisbon since 1890, Ginjinha Sem Rival received an order to close its doors at the end of June, when the lease expired, after the landlord decided not to renew it.
German businessman Axel Gassnann owns the building where Ginjinha operates, and he has turned it into a hotel.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the manager of Ginjinha Sem Rival, Nuno Gonçalves, said that the establishment will continue to operate and that the court will resolve the dispute with the landlord.
“For now, everything is calm. It’s a normal working day. When the landlord notifies us, we will fight the eviction,” he said.
Nuno Gonçalves also stated that, in the meantime, the landlord has been ignoring calls from Diogo Moura, the Lisbon City Council councillor responsible for Historic Shops, who has been mediating this conflict.
Lusa contacted Europe Hotels International (EHI), and an official source, representing the owner of the Ginjinha Sem Rival building, confirmed that they will “use the courts to claim their rights.”
The same source emphasised, “We will take legal action to enforce our rights. We will share further details in due course,” and noted that they would provide deadlines at a later time.
A week ago, in statements to Lusa, Lisbon City Councilman Diogo Moura acknowledged the extent of his intervention in a dispute between private parties, but stated that he was doing everything the law allows to ensure the continued operation of Ginjinha Sem Rival, offering to intervene legally if the dispute were to go to court.
Ginjinha Sem Rival, established in 1890, is one of 162 shops that the City Council and Lisbon have designated as part of the Lojas com História (Shops with History) programme, created to preserve the city’s emblematic establishments.
The legislation in force says that contracts remain protected until the end of 2027, an understanding shared by both the management of Ginjinha Sem Rival and the Lisbon City Council.
FAC/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
