Hospitality chiefs say they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket following the first weekend under harsh restrictions designed to clamp down on the spread of Covid-19.
New national rules set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meant that indoor premises could only open from 6am to 6pm with no alcohol sales, while outdoor venues could remain open until 10pm and sell alcohol if licensed to do so.
Scott Murray, of major Inverness hospitality chain Cru Holdings, said the changes understandably resulted in the largest downturn in customer numbers since pubs were allowed to reopen in the summer.
The group, which owns venues including Scotch & Rye, The Keg and Bar One, has already closed three sites in reaction to the rules, and has now taken further steps to adapt their remaining venues.
Mr Murray said: “We are by no means the worst hit by this, but over the course of the two weeks that they will be closed we will lose around £36,000 just in business related fees.
“We have had to shut half of the estate because they just can’t trade under the parameters that have been set out.”
Due to the swift turnaround in restrictions being implemented, some businesses were forced to relinquish fresh produce they had purchased as it could no longer be sold.
In a bid to adapt to the ever-changing situation, Cru Holdings has started to push its home delivery service and converted the outdoor facilities at its Prime restaurant into a pub.
Dubbed “angel has fallen” in reference to their Angel’s Share bar that sits above the restaurant, bosses have bought heaters to make it a more encouraging place to visit.
Mr Murray added: “While we don’t expect to see a return on that investment, it is important that we keep our staff employed and offer a service to as many people as possible.
“In reality I don’t think we will see the restrictions lifted, the Scottish Government has been given the green light and the funding to close areas of hospitality – I don’t know why they wouldn’t.
“Traditionally this is a very quiet time for hospitality and if we are to be allowed to trade it needs to be with fewer restrictions.”
The Scottish Government has outlined a £40 million fund to help some businesses affected by temporary restrictions, including one-off grants of up to £3,000 for those forced to close and grants of £1,500 to those that are remaining open but are impacted by restrictions.
The fresh sanctions have forced many in the industry to weigh up if it is worth remaining open.
Kirsty Cameron, assistant manager at Fierce in Aberdeen, said: “We have been lucky and very well supported over the weekend, but the difference will come during the week when people perhaps don’t want to sit out in the rain and cold with a beer.
“There are also the staff who have had to adapt and we have to think about them and their health, Aberdeen is pretty cold at the best of times which unfortunately is another hurdle to deal with.”
Meanwhile city centre pub Malones has offered free tea and coffee to visitors as a way of reducing social isolation now that people may be less inclined to meet up with friends in a bar.
