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.

I can't imagine social distancing will last long in pubs once they reopen. You can't social distance on the tube, bus or train so I suspect lots of people will break whatever rules get put in place.

Lots of restaurants here are providing a delivery service. Businesses will have to adapt and innovate in order to survive. Can't wait to go to much loved local cafes again, which were doing social distancing before complete lock down. We live in a seaside resort and I can't see visitors being allowed back any time soon, so restaurants will have to cater for local people.

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.

I agree with @crustycrab

Most privately owned pubs in our area and doing takeaway food and also have small shops selling produce that they get from their suppliers I assume. The ones that have shut up shop seem to be the big chain ones.

Plus a delivery or takeaway service isn’t an option for a lot of restaurants. For stuff like Chinese, Italian, Curries etc in local restaurants maybe but city centre fine dining restaurants which people travel to for the experience- not so much.

Most privately owned pubs in our area and doing takeaway food and also have small shops selling produce that they get from their suppliers I assume. The ones that have shut up shop seem to be the big chain ones.

It’s the opposite where I live - other than one which has always done deliveries via Just eat ( and now extended to Deliveroo). Sadly the statistics don’t support the halcyon vision of a thriving independent pub industry now flourishing as takeaways

@Aridane we are in a relatively rural area with several lively villages with pubs.

lovely

A very good local restaurant near us is doing pre-booked takeaways. The prices are the same as they were before lockdown, but I imagine that most people are buying a ten pound bottle of wine from the supermarket to drink with it, rather than a thirty quid bottle from the restaurant, and perhaps a six pound pre-dinner cocktail, and a couple of coffees and maybe a liqueur. That’s where their profit margin would come. I’m desperately tempted, but it’s a good twenty five minutes walk away, and I’m not sure that I’d get away with justifying the drive as essential

I think you’re right. Anything that involves close proximity is in trouble. Restaurants, cinemas, theatres, festivals.

Maybe we need to take a longer term view? Further ahead, more people will have had the virus and gained immunity, or there may be a successful vaccine.
In those circumstances, I think humans, as a social species, will be desperate to resume normal social interaction, including the pleasures of restaurant meals, convivial pubs, coffee shops, holiday travel, etc.
And the vast majority of younger people do not face any great risk from the virus even now - over 99% of them would survive an attack of it. This may mean they are keener to socialise than vulnerable or older people.

I’m tired of reading that businesses will just have to adapt. Many just simply can’t. I stage festivals, have done for 15 years, please tell me how I adapt because I haven’t got a bliddy clue.

People went back to normal social life eventually, after every pandemic in history - including the Black Death which killed a third of Europe’s population. I think we will after Covid, but it may take up to a year and/or a vaccine.

Most privately owned pubs in our area and doing takeaway food and also have small shops selling produce that they get from their suppliers I assume. The ones that have shut up shop seem to be the big chain ones.

There is a pub near us doing takeaways on some days (and a limited amount) but I think it is family run. I'm guessing that if a big chain opens up it will be hard to socially distance in a kitchen and paying several staff plus higher utility bills than if they were shut entirely means that they will be losing money so it's cheaper to stay shut and claim furlough. I guess the goverment didn't think so many would end up doing this though!