After having to close swiftly at the beginning of December, the sector was affected by further measures introduced later in the month, which meant venues could only offer a takeaway service.
With a decision yet to be made regarding the Island’s ‘circuit-breaker’ measures, David Warr, owner of Cooper and Co coffee merchants, has expressed his frustration at the lack of a clear next step.
‘My concern is that things happen so quickly to change the rules,’ he said. ‘Yet, when it comes to reopening, we aren’t given the respect of a week’s notice.’
Head of the Jersey Hospitality Association Simon Soar said it was important for businesses to receive notice in advance so that they could have adequate time to plan.
‘We have said all along that the most important thing for us at any stage is having as much advance notice as possible and a clear timeline. It is not just about opening your doors and letting customers in.
‘We have wholesalers who, because of the speed of the last closure, didn’t have time to wind down their stock. We closed almost overnight and all the fresh stock that was coming in – and we are talking hundreds of thousands of pounds worth on the Island – suddenly had no venues to go to.’
He added that some of the work that went into reopening a business could take days, depending on the establishment.
‘You need to deep clean the equipment, you need to get your staff in, your fridges, your stock – provided its’ there – and then you get ready to serve, providing you are able to have customers. To what level can you serve? What’s the capacity going to be? How many people can you fit in your venue?
‘All of these things are constantly going through our guys’ heads and they are having to look at how our next level of preparation comes in. You don’t just unlock the door and open it all up.’
