Running a hospitality business right now must be like walking a highwire – you have to keep moving, cautiously, but knowing that the smallest disruption will see you tumbling downward. And so the news from Paris that the city is heading back towards lockdown after a surge in coronavirus cases is nerve-wracking. Bars across Paris are closing today (Tuesday); restaurants have enhanced precautions – according to a survey of the city’s residents, 61% favour increased measures because they are nervous that the number of cases has reached a level which triggers an alert. Other French cities are almost at the same level – so further mandated bar closures are expected.
It’s hard to see London and other major UK cities escaping the same fate – nobody wants hospitality venues to do anything other than protect the public – but it’s another blow for our beleaguered industry.
As a side note, I saw on Twitter this morning that a restaurant restricted to 10 tables had FIVE tables do no-shows on Saturday night. If people are nervous about dining out, please just don’t book the table in the first place. No so hard, is it?
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