Grantham pubs prepare for reopening next month
Pubs and restaurants in Grantham are preparing for reopening on July 4, following the latest Government announcement.
The announcement that hair salons, pubs, hotels, restaurants and places of worship could reopen from July 4 came on Tuesday.
It means local pubs and restaurants have been able to continue preparations for life after lockdown.
Precautions such as hand sanitiser, social distancing floor stickers and separate doors for entry and exit will be implemented to ensure the safety of customers.
Eddie Pimlott, owner of Nobody Inn in North Street, said: “We are trying to get ready for it now. I’ve been reading through the government site.
“We’re thinking of adopting a one-way system around the pub and get some hand wash stations put up all over the pub.
“I’ve got electric locks on the toilets so the amount of people using them can be monitored. It’s good because everything can be run from behind the bar.
“There’s five doors around the pub so I can allocate them as entries and exits to keep people apart. I’m providing face masks for the bar staff, if they want to wear them.
“We’re doing all we can to make people feel secure. We get a lot of locals in here and they’re all decent folk. You’ve just got to keep tabs on it all. As long as people can be sensible.
“You’ve got to plan as well as you can and, if I can, get people back to work.”
Eddie is hoping for “that bit of normality in a sea of this madness”. He is also running a service which allows customers to purchase ‘growlers’, four and a half pint containers of draught ale for people who want to stay at home but still enjoy a beer.
Paul Davies, owner of Edward’s and Chequers bars in Market Place, is waiting to clarify and finalise safety precautions. He confirmed that he will be reopening the bars on July 4 with precautions including “all the usual stuff we need, signage, tape on the floor and sanitary spaces”.
With regards to an app-only service, Paul added: “Ideally, we don’t want to lose that personal touch with the app.
“I think people are desperate to come out and have a beer. It’s just whether that’s viable.
“Our main concern will be whether it’s financially viable. The one metre rules gives us a bit of a fighting chance. With people being sat around tables, that will effectively distance them anyway.
“There were murmurs that we would only be allowed to use outside spaces, so it’s better than I expected.”
The Tollemache Inn on St Peter’s Hill, owned by Wetherspoons, will also reopen on July 4 and has drawn up plans to ensure that its staff and customers are safe.
The pub will have screens at the till point. There will also be screens to create seating areas where it is not possible to separate the tables to the social distancing requirement.
Wetherspoons will provide gloves, masks and protective eyewear. Employees can elect whether to wear them or not, subject to government guidelines.
There will be hand sanitiser dispensers around the pub, including at the pub’s entrance, for customers and staff to use.
Every employee will need to complete and sign a daily health assessment questionnaire to confirm that they are fit to work. This will include having their temperature taken using a digital thermometer.
Dedicated staff will monitor the pub at all times in order to maintain social distancing standards and there will be a member of staff on the door at peak times.
The pub will use one entrance with a separate exit door where possible. Customer entry and exit will be marked out by floor stickers and/or barriers and there will be clear printed information providing guidance to customers as they enter the pub.
The pub will have a member of staff working full time (two staff per pub to cover all opening hours) to sanitise all the contact points during opening hours. These will include door handles, allergen information screens, card payment machines and hand rails.
Customers will be asked to use the Wetherspoon ‘order and pay’ app, wherever possible, or pay at the bar using a credit/debit card and contactless, although cash will be accepted. Staff will hand over all drinks holding the base of the glass and when ordered by the app they will be delivered to the table on a tray and placed on the table using the base of the glass.
Food will be delivered to the table by a member of floor staff. The pub will also offer a slightly reduced menu and will provide sachets rather than the usual condiment bottles.
Steven Hamilton, manager at The Tollemache Inn, said: “We have spent a number of weeks consulting with staff who work in our pubs, as well as area managers in order to draw up our plans.
“The safety of staff and customers is paramount.”
Are you reopening your business? Let us know by emailing: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk
