Liberation Group and Randalls have questioned why there are so many restrictions in place for customers wishing to eat or drink in a restaurant despite the continued low number of Covid-19 cases in the Island.
As part of the government’s Covid roadmap for easing restrictions, drinks-only table services in hospitality venues will not resume until 12 April.
However, ministers have not ruled out the possibility of these dates being moved forward should case numbers continue to remain low. There were yesterday four known active cases.
Earlier this week a petition, which by yesterday afternoon had more than 1,200 signatures, was launched by a member of the public to open the pubs before Easter weekend on 3 April as there is ‘no reason’ for them not to be open.
Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Liberation Group, said he was ‘perplexed’ as to what was stopping the Island from moving to the next phase of easing restrictions. He has written to the government for clarification as to why drinks-only services have not resumed.
‘What difference will there be between now and the middle of April?,’ he said.
‘Let us get businesses open for Easter and allow people to come and just have a drink. This will help set us up for what will hopefully be a good summer.’
Mr Lawson said the current restrictions on eating out had led to a high number of cancellations across the chain’s venues.
‘People don’t feel relaxed and instead feel rushed because they cannot sit there and enjoy a drink after their food and have to be out within a certain time.
‘We have had a lot of people cancel because many find it easier to have people in their house to mix and relax.’
However, Mr Lawson said the Island had a good opportunity to create a travel corridor with the UK this summer, which could lead to an increase in business.
‘We need to take advantage of what Europe will not be able to do, and that is to welcome Brits on holiday as most of us across the Island and the UK will be vaccinated. A lot of people will look closer to home for a holiday this year and it’s the perfect time for businesses to take advantage.’
Gavin Reid, managing director of Randalls, said restaurants and their staff had become ‘enforcement officers’ rather than hospitable businesses. ‘It is really difficult to justify these rules to customers when there is no apparent increased risk of catching Covid if they are not followed.’
Mr Reid said that the industry had stuck to the rules, without question, because they could see the ‘bigger picture’.
‘Everyone has understood and complied with the rules so far but now it is time to ease things and further return to some degree of normality.’
With travel restrictions to and from the UK easing from 26 April and the physical-distancing order due to be removed from 10 May, Mr Reid believes the Island has a great opportunity to have a successful summer of trading.
‘I think some people will have a bit of cash in reserve since they have not been able to go on holiday, which could be spent over here. The [Real Housewives of Jersey] programme will have brought some good exposure for the Island and we also have the football European Championships this summer, which will encourage everyone to get down to the pub and watch the games.
‘With the vaccination programme being rolled out, there is an opportunity to have a great summer of trading where we can finally get back to some form of normality and people can go out and enjoy themselves without having to worry.’
Meanwhile, Mr Reid said that Randalls venues have no intention of increasing their prices, despite claims from Simon Soar, the head of the Jersey Hospitality Association, who said that Islanders will probably soon have to pay more to eat out as Brexit-related staffing issues, increased utility costs and Covid-related losses begin to bite.
