The iconic building currently housing DOT restaurant faces an early demolition as the operators have decided to close the establishment. DOT originally opened in 2014 as the Infoversum, an initiative led by UG astronomer Edwin Valentijn. It featured a full-dome 3D theatre designed for planetarium shows. However, with an annual visitor target of 250,000, it only managed to attract 50,000. This led to the theatre’s bankruptcy by November 2015, after which Infoversum was transformed into DOT and a city beach was created next to it.
The DOT owners held a lease on the land from the municipality of Groningen until 2027. Given this limited time, it seems unlikely a new operator will be found for the remaining period.