Pubs, restaurants, and cafes are reopening for indoor dining on the 17th of May across England, Scotland, and Wales. It has been a long wait for these establishments and for their patrons, who have until now been left out in the cold, making do with outdoor dining.
Restaurants, cafes, and pubs will once again be able to seat people at their indoor tables, and the rules are also changing and being relaxed for outdoor dining sets. So, let’s take a look at the rules and tips that will get your restaurant operating indoors and capitalising on the new opportunities presented by the relaxing of outdoor dining rules.
The Latest Safety Measures
It is essential to follow the latest safety measures when reopening your restaurant, café, or pub. Following the rules will keep you on the right side of the law, keep customers safe, and keep your doors open for business.
The latest safety measures include:
- Groups of six people indoors – Known as the rule of six, this restriction has been complemented with people from two households of any size being able to dine inside together. Your support bubble is expected to count as one household.
- Groups of thirty people outdoors – Outdoors, the rules are not quite so restrictive with up to thirty people permitted to sit together.
- NHS test and trace – You must ensure that all customers, aged sixteen and over, check in with the NHS’s test and trace service or provide your establishment with contact details.
- Seated ordering – Where alcohol is served, your waiters and waitresses must take orders from seated guests at their tables, booths, or picnic benches.
- Face coverings – When customers are not seated, such as when they are shown to a table or go to the washroom, face coverings must be worn.
The government hopes to be able to lift these restrictions from the 21st of June.
Keeping Spaces Open & Flowing
Keeping your spaces open and flowing is equally important to our fight against COVID-19. You and your team need to ensure social distancing of one metre plus is possible. This means that you must set up your indoor dining area with plenty of space between tables. You must provide table service and limit the capacity of your restaurant, café, or pub to ensure social distancing is possible.
With outdoor dining numbers being raised to groups of thirty, there are business opportunities for attracting larger groups. You will once again be able to adjoin your tables and wooden garden chairs or picnic benches so that up to thirty people can dine and drink together. This rule and sunny weather may make your outdoor area even more popular, so if space exists, it is a good time to invest in more outdoor benches, tables, and chairs.
To purchase a single bench or outdoor dining set, or to enquire about a discount on a bulk order of wooden garden furniture, please contact our team today.