It’s been a difficult few months for the hospitality industry.

Having locked up shop in March, it’s meant a long period of uncertainty - for businesses, their staff, and their customers too. The worst part is not knowing when, or if, it’s all going to go back to normal. And as there’s a real possibility that ‘normal’ is a long way off, it’s time to find new ways of being - even if that means making some pretty big changes.

Lockdown and Hospitality: the impact

Hospitality came to a standstill on the 20th of March. For a lot of us, the impact was a change to our way of life. No bustling bars, 15-top tables filling restaurants, or coffee dates in the local café. To others, it was an even worse reality.

In the UK, the hospitality sector was the 3rd biggest employer in 2018. That’s over 3 million people who depend on the industry for their livelihood. 3 million people out of work, at least temporarily - and many of those jobs are permanently at risk: “UK chancellor Rishi Sunak expressed concern to MPs last week that a failure to reopen the hospitality sector could result in the loss of 2m jobs”.

As it stands, the earliest reopening date is in early July - and that depends on whether we’ve achieved the requirements set out by the government by then, according to scientific advice. Whatever happens, the nation’s wellbeing has to come first.

New measures for a ‘new normal’

‘Life has to go on’ has been one complaint of lockdown naysayers. But, as sad and scary as it is, that’s contingent on lives being protected. Reopening hospitality is going to mean some big changes, and it’s time to get ready.

There’s going to be a two big things to bear in mind:

- Social distancing: It’s likely to be a reality for the foreseeable future, whether 2m or otherwise. Whether it’s working out a one-way walking system, rearranging your floorplan, or going table service only, it’s something you’ll need to be on top of

- Hygiene measures: You need to protect your customers and your staff. This could include introducing mandatory face coverings, hand-washing points, single-use tools, and more regular cleaning of communal areas

Every venue is different, so you need to get a gameplan as soon as possible.

Pact’s takeaway? Get takeaway ready!

When it comes to coffee, you’re in luck. It’s already a typical takeaway product - removing some of the risks of customers sitting in. Beyond making sure your queue system and serving stations are social distance compliant, we can help you out with the rest.

Smudged spoons and coffee-ringed cups are not an option right now. We can offer all the single use items you need: cups, lids, stirrers, sugar sachets. And not only that - we can give you ‘best practice’ advice too, as well as guidance from our team.

Things might not be back to usual for a while, but in the meantime? We’re hoping to help you get back to business.