As one or two countries slowly start to emerge from this horrific pandemic, world leaders are now scratching their heads trying to figure out what the next safe step out of lockdown might be. They are all searching for the elusive road map that will lead us towards what has now become known as the “new normal” (whatever that might be). It seems that every Government is waiting to see who will make the first move, and when they do, what the result/consequence might be. Suffice to say that there is a lot of indecision and procrastination, and in many cases, where guidelines have be set out, regrettably they can still be ambiguous and are not always clear.

Of course, certain industries have been particularly hard hit, the restaurant sector being just one of them. In many markets the re-opening of restaurants is perhaps still a month or two away, and when they eventually do, there will be crippling restrictions applied as to how they can operate.

For example, the problem with a reduced-capacity opening (especially in cities with high rent areas), is that unless places are say, perhaps 80% full, then they will probably be making a loss. Therefore, if restaurants do get the green light to re-open, but with distancing in place (and Government support withdrawn), then many outlets will be forced to stay closed to avoid racking up massive losses. It’s a real conundrum…