Lots of talk of opening dates for hospitality and leaked “rumours” from the press. Not only does this cause extra anxiety for business owners and operators, but it also creates expectation from our guests that we then need to manage.

Here’s my thoughts:

Hospitality has already

proven itself to be a safe environment with restaurants and bars managing risk well since the start of the pandemic. We have been scapegoated with restrictions on social distancing, curfews, mixed households, alcohol sales, indoor sales, and more, yet infection rates within our

environment remains low.
Despite this, there are rumours that we may only be able to open outdoor spaces. When wet-led pubs were forced to remain closed last year, they were offered £1000 whilst their counterparts could serve alcohol alongside a scotch egg. Will that be the same

for venues without outdoor spaces. It’s also currently wet and cold. Is there any difference eating in an enclosed, heated gazebo than indoors? Many of us will be forced to remain closed and will not be supported by the government.

There are rumours that hospitality will be

allowed to open with alcohol banned. Much like last year’s 10pm curfew or the “substantial meals in pubs” debacle, this just forces the public onto the streets or into homes where social distancing and sanitation cannot be controlled or monitored. Our overheads will remain the

same with full teams needed to serve our guests, but our income will be halved, or worse. Businesses will not survive with this model, but I’m sure government support will be retracted as we will have been “allowed to open”.
The dates that are being rumoured (pubs open by Easter,

hospitality opening at the end of March) are just another example of arbitrary dates offered by the government to appease the public. This is clearly not us “following the science”. If we were truly following the science, we would announce opening dates when infection rates

dictated it was safe to do so. Much like the Christmas relaxation, if you tell people they can go to the pub at Easter, they will expect it. You’re either going to disappoint millions, or follow through with the promise and risk another wave of infections.
I hate lockdown. My

business has suffered, my mental heath has suffered, my physical heath has suffered. However, I really don’t want us to relax measures too soon, if we risk more deaths and another, badly managed, lockdown. Surely we must learn from our past mistakes and wait until it is safe to

open the country. Have most of the population vaccinated, the R rate low, hospital numbers down and a test and trace system in place that works.
In the mean time, we still desperately need support. Our business receives £2000 a month in grants and yet it costs us £9500 to remain

closed and continue to support our team. We desperately need help, but we need help once we’ve reopened. The 5% VAT rate should be extended to 2022, business rates should remain frozen and furlough should remain until the country is back on its feet. I know this means we will be

paying it back for years to come, but the only way the economy will rebuild is if businesses survive.