Eat Out To Help Out?

[itboffin]

After spending a week in the UK due the cancellation of our planned club trip to France for the third time it was nice if a little difficult to book group meals but when we did the discount was very welcome, I took the time in every eatery to ask how they’re coping and if the scheme is helping, the message was the same as in sort of yes but far from sustainable due to the low numbers eating out and it will only get worse as the holiday period ends.

if you can folks please help these businesses, they need us more than ever if we want a return to the way things were from a social entertainment POV

 

[Milkfloat]

I have been out a few times to support local businesses, including tonight. I was a bit disturbed to find that the Curry House I went to earlier had a special reduced menu where everything was about 40% more expensive than it is normally. I am not sure they are getting into the spirit of things.

 

[Milzy]

We've used it several times.

 

[snorri]

I've never given it a thought.
It's only on very rare occasions that I eat out when I'm within reach of home.

 

[jayonabike]

Don’t feel safe enough at the moment to go and eat out at a restaurant plus unless it’s somewhere really special I can cook better at home

 

[PaulSB]

Generally I ride Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Without planning it all of our café stops through August have offered/benefitted from the scheme.

One Wednesday, when the weather was particularly good, we had to ride away from three cafés because they were so busy with wait times just to get a table quoted at 20-30 minutes. The fourth, one you have to know about to find, was able to seat and serve straight away. It was offering 50% discount.

The owner of one café told me she was surprised at the speed of HMRC payment - submit details on a Friday and five days later the cash arrived. Having saved till receipts, carefully logged customer numbers, tables etc. she was shocked to discover she simply had to submit a value with no details to back up the submission.

As she said very much open to abuse, just like the furlough scheme.

 

[Blue Hills]

Generally I ride Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Without planning it all of our café stops through August have offered/benefitted from the scheme.

One Wednesday, when the weather was particularly good, we had to ride away from three cafés because they were so busy with wait times just to get a table quoted at 20-30 minutes. The fourth, one you have to know about to find, was able to seat and serve straight away. It was offering 50% discount.

The owner of one café told me she was surprised at the speed of HMRC payment - submit details on a Friday and five days later the cash arrived. Having saved till receipts, carefully logged customer numbers, tables etc. she was shocked to discover she simply had to submit a value with no details to back up the submission.

As she said very much open to abuse, just like the furlough scheme.

cripes that sounds appalling.

 

[bikingdad90]

Don’t feel safe enough at the moment to go and eat out at a restaurant plus unless it’s somewhere really special I can cook better at home

I’ve only been sitting outside. Only exception was when I stayed in a premier inn and had to eat breakfast inside. I read their Covid statement and thought the risk was acceptable. Only 20 people in the restaurant for spacing reasons, table service only, thorough cleaning of tables, chairs and touch points, track and trace and only hotel guests allowed no walk ins.

 

[vickster]

I went out early eve yesterday, impromptu as Costa closed earlier than we thought and we wanted a second half price coffee somewhere.
Bar-restaurant was first place we came to so decided to eat. I ordered a tasty veggie breakfast, 2 flat whites and a large bottle of sparkling water for £8.70 (plus we left a £3 tip between us).
Can't complain. I've no issue with eating in anywhere personally, and the SD/Covid arrangements were impeccable

 

[fossyant]

Used it 3 times this week as we are away at the caravan. All pre booked a week in advanced as the businesses are busy.

All well prepared keeping folk away, but at the Oyster Catcher on Anglesey there were English pushing the rules. Four families together including kids. Bit late when the restaurant is saying, erm just put down 2 families, put the restaurant in a sticky place. The parents and kids were constantly getting up and walking round, another rule breaking. Oh and no-one following rules at the loo. We only used it as we had a 90 minute journey back to the van.

The two local restaurants in Prestatyn were great and everyone following the rules.

 

[cougie uk]

Used it accidentally on my Wednesday bike rides. I'd always stop for cake anyway.

On holiday this week and have used it several times Monday to Wednesday.

Eating out out - not been inside apart from one place that was very well spaced out.

We'd be having to eat and drink anyway so it's not really encouraged us to do anything different.

At home we'd not be going out in the evening anyway in the week.

Seems a bit like the government are just throwing money away. It'll probably be looked upon like the free flights to the US initiative that Hoover ran. Didn't that bankrupt them ?

 

[swee'pea99]

Very rarely go out but we made an exception this week, to celebrate munchkin snr's graduation. Newish local French/Italian restaurant that's been getting good write ups on local social media, and it didn't disappoint. Little sign of The Crisis, I'm glad to say, other than tables a bit more widely spaced than you might usually expect - and the fact that on a Monday evening it was heaving. Excellent food for a four with a couple of bottles of house wine, hundred quid all told. That's pretty damn good for a good restaurant hereabouts.

 

[postman]

Hearing stories of people ordering so much they cannot finish it and it is being thrown away.One well known cafe near here is coming out of the scheme.New customers being pigs,and only using the discount scheme ,and not supporting the cafe on other days,unlike the regulars,who use it all year round.

 

[Notafettler]

I offered to pay for a familly meal out using this scheme before my neice goes off to university, but my sister couldn't find anywhere that had space for the 7 of us as the places we all like were all fully booked. Going past quite a few eateries & food pubs on the commute, I've noticed that they also seem to be busier on the Thursday & Friday afternoons as well.

I booked for tonight Thursday on Tuesday for a chicken and chorizo pie. I do miss cow cheek pie but what can I do other than hope he gets back to normal and Thursday becomes pies only again He's not even doing mash. I would normally have chips and mash. This Chinese have a lot to answer for!!

 

[vickster]

Hearing stories of people ordering so much they cannot finish it and it is being thrown away.One well known cafe near here is coming out of the scheme.New customers being pigs,and only using the discount scheme ,and not supporting the cafe on other days,unlike the regulars,who use it all year round.

They must have small appetites then given the max saving per person is only a tenner on food and drinks!
Eating out generally isn't that much cheaper up north!

Not sure why it matters either way to the cafe as they get the reduction amount back (there's always food waste in restaurants ultimately)