Hospitality entrepreneurs are ANGRY: we want to open at Christmas!
Taking online yoga classes, watching Netflix and putting together a jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces: it’s not for hospitality entrepreneurs. They see their bank accounts slipping into the red, and the empty tables are painful to look at. That’s why they are calling for clarity as soon as possible: will they be allowed to open at Christmas?
Michelin-starred chef Ron Blaauw called on Minister Hugo de Jonge via Instagram to announce as soon as possible whether restaurants will be able to operate as usual over Christmas. ‘I think I already know how this will turn out, namely that we won’t reopen until 7 January, but only announcing this halfway through December creates a lot of uncertainty for the hospitality industry.’ Ron assumes that the government made the decision about reopening the hospitality industry a long time ago, but has not announced it yet.
Comparing apples and melons
Other entrepreneurs wholeheartedly support his call for more clarity. ‘Just say it, then we’ll know what to focus on,’ says Jermain de Rozario of Michelin-starred restaurant De Rozario. ‘It’s comparing apples and melons,’ Jonnie and Thérèse Boer respond via Instagram. ‘Maybe they could take a more tailored approach.’ The Netherlands simply cannot afford to keep the entire hospitality industry closed, restaurant Suzie’s & Van Aken says. ‘Open the hospitality industry! In return, impose a ban on fireworks.’
Sneeze guards between the tables
Experiments are meanwhile being carried out to see how the hospitality industry could reopen in a coronavirus-proof way. A test will begin in 25 food establishments in the coming weeks, all of which must meet strict measures, such as face masks for guests, designated walking routes, perfect ventilation and agreements about closing times and alcohol sales. Notably, the experiment will examine whether sneeze guards could be a solution: transparent screens that can be placed between different tables—similar to the perspex screens at the supermarket. The experiment will run for a few weeks, with the results available in early December. At the same time, experiments are also being conducted with events, football matches and theatre performances.
Read also:
- Inside story from a hospitality entrepreneur on what it’s like to run a restaurant during coronavirus
- Damn it! Cafés and restaurants closed again due to new coronavirus measures
- Red Cross launches food aid during coronavirus
Source: Misset Horeca, RTL Nieuws
