Spalding, Donington and Holbeach pubs, cafes and restaurants look foward to reopening their doors

Staff at cafes, bars and restaurants are looking forward to welcoming back indoor customers next week.

South Lincolnshire hospitality companies can reopen inside from tomorrow (Monday, May 18), with the latest government regulations allowing for further easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Various South Holland businesses will be able to welcome back indoor visitors for the first time in months, including cinemas and soft play areas.

Ellie Clay (24) of Ayscoughfee Cafe, said: “We are definitely really excited. It will be nice for people to be inside in the warm, to come out for a traditional lunch rather than an al fresco.

“Just before Christmas, we did spend a bit of money getting the restaurant sorted for reopening inside. So we’ve got a new floor, repainted the restaurant and no-one’s really seen it yet, they’ve only been able to see from outside.”

While in Holbeach Martin Foward (38) is looking forward to reopening The Crown Inn.

Martin said that “It’ll be nice to have people back in the building.

“We’ve had new ladies toilets, new gents toilets and things done, refitted, have a new pool room and darts board. Upstairs we just got a new carpet done on Thursday.

“A lot of places are doing bookings only, but we’re doing it on a basis of first come first serve.”

Angela Scott (53) say The Black Bull, in Donington, will reopen on May 18.

She said: “We’ve been redecorating, so the bar’s got a new look, the restaurant’s got a new look. So we’re just looking forward to our customers getting back to us, we’ll be reopening on the May 18.

“We’re still doing track and trace, that’ll all be in place.

“The one metre rule will be in until it changes in June, so all the procedures that were in place before with lockdown will still be in place.

“You’ll still have to book for the restaurant, you don’t necessarily have to book for the bar.”

Ivan Pastore (45) of Amici Restaurant, in Spalding, is unsure what the reaction will be.

He said: “Some of the enthusiasm is not quite there, because I don’t necessarily know just how busy the restaurant’s going to be. It’s quite tricky to try and work out, do you bring more of your staff out of furlough? Do you bring some from furlough?

“These are the sort of difficult decisions I have to weigh up, because normally as a restaurant we have quite a big menu with lots of choice. I just don’t know if people are ready to go back out.

“Let’s not forget we’ve been in this position before where we were planning to reopen, and then we didn’t reopen.

“Obviously with the news of reopening we can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I just hope our customers are ready to prepare to come back to us.”