Director of JPRestaurants Dominic Jones said that his team had taken many bookings since the government announced last week that some hospitality venues could reopen on 22 February.
He added that discussions with the government and the Jersey Hospitality Association were taking place to make sure that the appropriate safety measures were being implemented.
‘There certainly seems to be a lot of interest in bookings,’ he said. ‘We had over 300 people book at Banjo for the next few weeks before the press conference was even over, so there is definitely pent-up demand.’
He added that he was currently awaiting clarification on some of the measures that would need to be in place, as this would affect the number of people who could be served.
‘We feel we can provide customers with a safe environment, and we are very positive. I am concerned about the capacity issues and that is something that will hopefully be finalised over the next few days.’
Minutes released last year from meetings held by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell – the group which advises the government on how to handle its response to Covid-19 – suggested that 50% of hospitality establishments were not adhering to the requirement to record customer details to help with track-and-trace during the summer.
Mr Jones said he was ‘very keen’ that the entire sector took enforcement of the guidelines seriously, adding that everyone – including customers – needed to follow the rules to avoid another closure.
‘My sense is that enforcement is going to be stronger than it was last time, so I’m hoping that’s something we can encourage everybody to do,’ he said. ‘I think the whole industry realises we have a real opportunity here and we don’t want to lose that opportunity.’
Meanwhile, Natalie Parkin Duffy, owner of the Salty Dog Bar & Bistro, said the phone ‘had not stopped ringing’ since the announcement was made.
‘We’re very excited about the reopening. Let’s get it right and let’s stick to what we need to do,’ she said. ‘By that time it will be another few weeks down the line and hopefully another set of regulations will be broken down.
‘That’s what we are looking forward to and I think the industry as a whole is eager to get back and is willing to do whatever it is we need to do to get there.’
She echoed Mr Jones’s plea for Islanders to follow the guidelines, adding that it was in the best interests of both the customers and the businesses involved.
‘What’s also relevant is that the customers are proactive in supporting what we need to do, because having been deprived of going out and enjoying the company of friends and family it’s very much more valuable to them,’ she said.
‘So I’m pretty confident that everyone will have a positive attitude towards what we are asking them to do, and it is clear that we as the restaurateurs need to manage and oversee the activities within our establishments.’
Deputy Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said he was ‘pleased’ that the sector was reopening and that he was confident they would offer ‘safe, well-regulated facilities’.
He also addressed accusations that allowing restaurants to reopen while household mixing was banned was a contradiction of the rules, adding: ‘The difference is that when you are in a restaurant you are in a controlled environment – there’s distancing, it’s a very regulated area but with a household it isn’t.
‘We want to allow household mixing as soon as it is safe to do so, but it is very much a case of opening carefully and in stages.’
