To think that those of us who work in the restaurant trade are finished?

[WeAreAllDoomedITellYa]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8286345/UKs-work-blueprint-Hot-desking-banned-no-sharing-pens-canteens-closed.html?offset=52&max=100&jumpTo=comment-542862327#comment-542862327

It's the Daily Fail, I know.

But if true very bad news for those of us in the restaurant trade.

It feels like a long drawn out death to me.

Well yes a lot of people furloughed in restaurant and bar jobs will find themselves unemployed shortly and on unemployment benefits.

When the company you work for opens back up, they will be told to have social distancing measures. So that means less customers, less money so they won’t need the same amount of staff.

If you’ve got a restaurant that can only have 1/2 the amount of tables it normally would and you’ve got to clean them properly after each customer, you can’t have people standing around the bar in a huddle either so no extra money of ££ drinks.

I do think though that they will let restaurants open before they even think about letting people loose in pubs.

I think for a year/18 months, the whole sector will be so badly hit that many businesses will simply go under - even some of the big names.

But when there is actually a proper working vaccine that makes it perfectly safe to socialise properly again, new names will start filling those gaps and the restaurant sector will rise again.

I suppose the same will be true for cinemas, theatres, museums, gyms, event businesses. And hairdressers, beauticians...

Of course, in the meantime, it will all have a knock-on effect on suppliers for all these struggling companies - wedding photographers, florists.

I've been working for a printing business recently - it's lost nearly all its customers, as they are all made up of the above businesses.

Oh dear, I'm depressed now. Pass me the gin.

See, as much as I understand the idea of buying gift vouchers now, it's one thing I won't do. I'm too worried about places going under and the voucher being worthless.

I share an above poster's annoyance at the whole shoulder shrugging 'well, businesses will just have to adapt to the new normal' line. Some businesses simply can't, at least in an economically viable way. In the case of restaurants, we've seen 'plans' about how they'll have to space out tables and perhaps have perspex dividers between them, how waiters will have to wear masks and because of fewer kitchen staff to ensure social distancing, wait times will be longer.

Thing is, how many people will want to go out to eat in those circumstances? For most of us, eating out is a treat. If we're having to constantly ensure we're 2 metres away from our fellow diners and have our meal in a half-empty restaurant, is there really any point? Getting takeaway for half the price might be a better bet. Not to mention that restaurants often run on very tight margins and need a full house at least at weekends in order to survive. So put simply, many won't.

However, while short-term pain seems unavoidable, this isnt' going to go on forever. At some point - maybe next year, maybe the year after - people will want to go out to eat again and hopefully by then medical advances will have significantly reduced the danger from the virus. But sadly, it's hard to see a positive outcome for the hospitality business in the short term.

There was talk on R4 of a National time out for the sector. It sounded sensible, everything pauses. Not sure if it’s viable though. It was a spokesperson for industry. It sounded good because when we are completely back to normal we will all carry on.

I can imagine tables apart but screens on an individual table sounds a bit much, if they have to do that (not sure if that was pp meant).

Good point about the toilets. Presumably there will be guidance on how to make them safer but it is off putting if you think about it.

Also good point about the ambience and the whole experience of eating out. Most people appreciate the social aspect of it not just the actual food. Not so much fun if you are sitting apart from all the diners, the staff are serving you in masks and you are hoping you don’t need the toilet.

There was talk on R4 of a National time out for the sector. It sounded sensible, everything pauses. Not sure if it’s viable though. It was a spokesperson for industry. It sounded good because when we are completely back to normal we will all carry on.

How would that work though? How will the staff directly employed in the sector - not to mention the many indirectly employed - earn a living? Some of them could be furloughed but there's a time limit on that. How will the landlords of the property get their rent? The council its taxes? And so on.

Every sector is looking for a bail-out but the govt simply can't afford to do this for everyone. And "completely back to normal" could be a year or more away. Not saying this to be a Debbie Downer, just to be realistic.

Iced I’d have to relisten and no idea when it was. Yeh might not work sounded good at the time.

Yes when they said normal they meant post vaccine. It won’t be this side of it I doubt.

I can't wait to go out to eat and I can't wait to sit down and have a flat white in a proper cup and saucer - takeaway doesn't do it for me. I'll sit quite happily in a half-empty restaurant and be served by a guy in a mask and take my chances. I'm sure there are lots more like me so fingers crossed for all the restaurants and cafés out there!

Restaurant trade here! We are doing takeaways and it isn't covering nearly half of what we were making before but it's keeping us active in the community. We aren't expecting there to be a lot of foot fall when we re open. And we don't anticipate the government opening for a few months. The thing that will help is if the landlords offered reduced rent...that's not going to happen. That's our problem. We have customers already asking when they can make reservations for after lock down but obviously we can't take them. Rent is a huge problem though

I can't see how social distancing will work in the restaurant I work in, and that's just among the staff themselves in the kitchen, dish room etc, let alone with the customers. I'm deeply concerned.

@MarshaBradyo and @Ponoka7 hopefully antibody testing can help, I think it’s a long way off but realistically and sadly I think it’ll be a case of once most of us have had it, things will pick up. But then will we all have to carry proof of our tests with us if we are allowed out 🤔

It’s the fear right now that the virus is causing that will put a stop to so much (business wise). Including for me, I’m nervous because I don’t know if my clients would be distancing like I am. The fact they already come in with ‘sniffles’ and I work from home so I already get paranoid about bugs!

I can't wait to go out to eat

Same here! We really miss going out for a spot of lunch on a Saturday.

We have found a few of the restaurants we like are doing deliveries / takeaways so we have decide that Saturday night is takeaway night and we cycle through the ones we know.

Last Saturday DH was asking the restaurateur how they were doing and he said he thought they were doing enough to survive. I guess even if there is not as much footfall the expenses will be a bit less because they are not paying waiting staff and so on.

We used to eat out once a week, last meal out10 weeks ago. After that one we could see the writing on the wall and stopped going out to eat.

Most of the places we ate had tables very close together and presumably they needed that number of diners to make a profit or maybe they were just greedy.

I doubt that many restaurants could lose half or more of their tables and still make enough money to stay open.

The other thing is getting there. Unless you are lucky enough to live somewhere with a great choice of restaurants or don't mind not drinking you have to factor in the possibility of having to use public transport or taxis. Don't fancy either of those options at the moment so it will be a long time until our usual habits are resumed.

Without a vaccine I doubt we would risk it. A pub garden might be different but we don't have any of those within walking distance.

Oh and having read more of the thread, there's no way I would get through a quality meal out without needing the loo. The sort of meals we used to enjoy often found us in the restaurants for a couple of hours, drinking plenty of wine with our food.

We aren't having takeaways either. There aren't any decent restaurants near us and I don't want containers that have been handled by other people or lukewarm food.

OP, I really hope not. I don't want to see people love their jobs and it's the first thing I'd do tomorrow if it were safe, ie go out for a meal or nice coffee and cake. DH and I have been talking about this, and we think prices will go up to compensate for less customers in restaurants/cafes. Think shops will become more expensive as well, as most will need to pay someone to stand on door to limit numbers, only allow so many in at a time so reduced takings.

It depends where I think.

In my (touristy) village a few are doing takeaways already, and will be able to ramp it up quite easily when tourists return. People can walk to them, so no need for public transport.

In cities I think it might be much harder as there are so many, and so much competition already.

I dont think the industry will die long term, but lots wont be able to survive until things get better.

I work in tourism. Our survival depends on people being able to travel again, that will be the last thing to happen.

I’ll be straight out. Social distancing or not. No social distancing where I work and no one cares. They are desperate for places to open back up

Restaurants were always able to turn into takeaways provided they could work safely and I found that our small local ones did exactly this. It’s the larger chains that decided to opt to close / furlough.

Takeaway is fine as an interim measure to keep things ticking over, but it's not a long-term solution. Unlike takeaways, restaurants have much bigger premises and are often located in more expensive parts of town. Takeaway is nowhere near as profitable, especially as many restaurants depend on alcohol sales to up their profit margins.

Fwiw the minute my favourite locals cafes are open I'll be there. I'll take my chances. I love going to cafes and often go sometimes twice a day for breakfast and lunch. I'll take my chances as they make me happy.

I am a market trader. Lord knows if and when I will be able to trade again 😔

It won’t be up to customers prepared to take their chances though. Surely there will be guidance for the restaurants to follow. Can they implement it all safely and can they make a profit?

Getting pretty sick of people claiming local pubs are "doing a roaring trade", "doing better than pre-lockdown". No, they aren't. And many of them won't survive.

Restaurants make alot of money from alcohol not just food - some make little money from food. People often have a few drinks at the bar then one when they are perusing the menu etc - takeaways don't provide the same level of spend - most people will takeaway food and not the booze - they'll get that at the supermarket. Waiting staff won't be needed for takeaways. Some people that used to be regulars will not have the cash to eat out even if that have the inclination. Some hot food does not travel well even a short distance. Going out for a posh meal on my birthday is for the food and experience - I won't get a takeaway just to sit at home, would be more likely to get some nice stuff in from M&S.