Today a question that might seem a bit strange at first glance.
(It’s likely that the question popped up because I am currently on vacation near the tourist hot spot Rothenburg ob der Tauber with many old restaurants here.)
So the question is, why do many restaurant and pub owners put in windows you can't see through?
There are basically two possible reasons for opaque window panes: on the one hand that you cannot look outside from the inside; on the other hand that you cannot see inside from outside.
I can think of economic reasons for both cases.
If you can't look outside, it's easy to forget the outside world. You stay in the dining room longer and consume more.
Conversely, anyone walking past the outside of the restaurant cannot tell who is inside. This creates privacy for the restaurant guests, and the passer-by has to enter the dining room to satisfy their curiosity.
Whatever the reasons, one thing seems pretty straightforward: restaurant owners wouldn't install opaque window panes if they didn't pay off.
Onwards,
The Strolling Economist