friend told to shut her cafe by tomorrow afternoon

[vikkimoog]

Council workers came in person and said they have to close.
small'ish town in the North

a lot of local cafes etc are doing this around us (small town east Anglia)

All the restaurants where I live are doing grab and go or kerbside pickup, closes to indoor dining. It seems
To be working well and helps them keep some income, although waitstaff are reduced.

Mafia, not council, I think

What size fee for 'special reconsideration'?

I own a chippy and I really dont know what to do. Should I close shop? or carry on. We dont do deliveries and its something we can't really offer either. Advice thanks.

Necessary.

I’ve just driven past an empty starbucks that is always packed and a mcdonalds drive through which only had a few cars waiting.

I'm not surprised that Starbucks was empty but I am surprised about the drive through. While I wouldn't sit in a restaurant I'd order a takeaway or use the drive through.

I hope places that offer deliveries are allowed to carry on doing so if they wish. I could be the difference between the business surviving or going under for some.

Everywhere is open as usual here. Lots of places are offering takeaway or delivery on top of normal dining, but they're still open and trying their best to drum up trade by Facebook etc.

Unless the government intervenes and forces everyone to close, then people will remain open.

If the councils are forcibly making shops close then the councils are liable for any losses, this is why the government are currently only advising people to stay away from these services as they don't want to be exposed to any liability losses.

@Jimmies1234, why can't you switch to deliveries, if you charge the customer for the fare? A taxi would deliver for you. Still a risk of passing it on, though.

not sure why Costa was packed.

I had an email from them saying they were closing their seating areas and operating purely as take-out service.

I was in town today and was surprised to see lots of older people carrying on as normal.

hollow we dont have ordering platform whereby people can pay on credit card. And the platforms we have looked at charge approx 17% extra in fees. It would eat in our profits. Our business is 80% walk ins. I wish the government would tell us either to shut shop, rather than telling people not to go out unless its essential.

If the council have told her to close I assume that they have taken legal advice on that decision.

Could you make them pay on PayPal? It's difficult, isn't it, as you can take phone orders but then you don't want them to pay in cash because of the chance of infection. I really feel for you.

The sooner everything except food shops and pharmacies close the better. If Italy can do it we can.

A local pub advertised that their quiz night was still on tonight! On a local group set up to help the elderly and self isolating by doing shopping etc 😮 An admin deleted it very quickly

Who have they got that from though?

Exactly- a lot of these posts in here are from a friend or a cashier or a neighbour or their babysitter's dog - is anything first hand?!
There's no sources, nothing - just anecdotes and rumour!

Everything open as usual in this bit of London although I don't use cafes and coffees bars ever really.
I think we have the right stance in England on these issues. Lots of cafes and coffee bars are moving to home deliveries by the way due to demand rather than shutting up.

The legal question is can a local authority force a cafe to close - first ask them under what law and then read the law and if not sure speak to a solicitor for a bit of advice.

The coffee shops in the shopping centre have taken away all their tables and seating today. They're serving takeaway coffee at the counter and that's it. And a number of small restaurants are organising to move to take away deliveries instead of opening seating inside.

I popped out to get a few final supplies today and the Costa’s in town were both take away only. Waitrose cafes have closed and everything was a bit eerie. DH’s friend’s however, are still adamant that a boys night out to the pub this weekend will be absolutely fine 🙄!

The sooner everything except food shops and pharmacies close the better

This. It's terrible for small businesses, but there is literally no choice. Fewer people will die if more places close.

Equimum
Your DH's friend is a selfish dick.

If they can close every school in the land and teachers prepare work, with no notice without complaint, then I'm sure you can close your cafe!

This sort of thing needs to happen. We've been far too lax so far.

I spoke to a friend who manages a large branch of Greggs Bakers in Newcastle at lunchtime.
They were offering a counter service only today, no sit in at all.
She said they'd been told to bank all monies and clear the place as all Greggs will be shut from now on.