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So I have tried to remain stoic and upbeat through this but I have decided to break silence. It was the ‘10pm panacea’ that did it. And this. I am not going to be overtly or unnecessarily political but feel obligated to call out buffoonery.
I am not a big operator with a large portfolio. 2 smallish businesses that were doing well before C-19 hit and hoping to expand. Could we do things better - always, but we worked damned hard, as did every operator I know, to add to the rich mix. Then this.
Re 10pm: we have operated both venues to legislation, collected customer data and maintained every possible cleanliness protocol. In the time since 4th July, we have not been contacted once by PHE or Track and Trace with regards any customer who has visited us nor been asked to
provide the contact details of those in our venues on any given day. Though, like most venues, we benefited from the EOTHO sugar-shot, throughout we have behaved exactly as asked and to no ill affect. Now however, we are being told that to stop the exponential rise in cases
throwing us all into the street at the same time at 10pm believing that everyone will dutifully run home and tuck up in bed, will solve all the problems. Six months??? The sad part is this will actually close a lot of businesses because, certainly for the city centres, these are
exactly the hours that determine our week and entice customers to come to any later night venue. City centres are going to die. I have welcomed all the help that both @ManCityCouncil and @CityCo have done but we need a lobby to counter this move and not penalise venues that are
on the edge. @HospoUnion is trying to galvanise a group and I urge all who have a stake to come in and support the effort to reverse this nonsensical approach.
I will be the first to close my venues if I felt we were putting people at risk. Due to the professionalism of my teams, we are not! And closing us at 10pm will not change that. It might just close us though. I ask we are not scapegoated!
