Hertfordshire restaurants could open in teepees from July
LussmannsA restaurant owner is looking to put up giant teepees to comply with current social distancing guidelines unless the two-metre rule is reduced.
Andrei Lussmann owns six restaurants, five in Hertfordshire, and was planning to use outdoor tents from July until the government said the rule was under review.
If it is reduced to one metre, "I'll get our restaurants open" he said.
"There's been so much confusion... it's constant evolution at the moment."
When the closure of restaurants was announced, Lussmanns set up a home delivery service and delivered 28,000 items in 11 weeks.
With the government saying it was working towards early July as a possible date when pubs and restaurants could reopen and that "the risk of transmission is significantly lower outdoors", many establishments were looking to open spaces to adhere to social distancing.
Paul Winch-FurnessRestaurants and social distancing
- Restaurant bosses have warned that if the two-metre (6ft 6in) social distancing requirement remains, they will need action on tax, rents and other support or the sector faces massive job cuts
- Kate Nicholls, from the industry body UK Hospitality, told the BBC that with a two-metre rule, outlets would be only able to make about 30% of normal revenues, whereas one metre would increase that to 60-75%
- Ministers said a comprehensive review will be completed "in the coming weeks" and the government was "working closely with the hospitality sector to develop safe ways for restaurants, bars and cafes to reopen as soon as we can from July"
- A recent survey by Deliveroo found more than half of small, independent restaurants said they would have to close within three months without further support
The sector needs "large spaces to make it work", Mr Lussmann said, and "with a two-metre rule it may not be financially viable to open".
He planned to use large teepees in two locations until early September which he said would "give people the opportunity to eat in a restaurant but outside".
But earlier this week, the government commissioned a comprehensive review into the rule, so his plans cannot be finalised.
"[The teepees are] all ready as a back-up so if the government stick with the two-metre rule and enforce strict guidelines around indoor eating we will open up in a field," he said.
"But the view is that the rule could be relaxed and the indoor guidelines will be less demanding. If that's the case, then I'll be opening our restaurants again."
Paul Winch-Furness
Paul Winch-FurnessWhatever happens, he said the deliveries would continue.
"Before all this I said I'd never do delivery or takeaway. Over my dead body," he said.
"There's a sizeable community out there, mainly older people, that, until a vaccine comes, won't be going out to restaurants, so there's a need for us to keep it going."
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