SUNAK RALLIES HOSPITALITY SECTOR FOR REOPENING
HOSPITALITY businesses that serve sit-down meals can register for Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme before it gets underway next month.
The deal tops out at £10 a head – and doesn’t include booze – but customers can use it as many times as they like as long as they are eating on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday during August.
The UK-wide scheme, announced by Sunak in last week’s mini-Budget, is aimed at protecting jobs in pubs and restaurants by encouraging people to eat out now lockdown restrictions are being eased.
To take advantage, customers can visit restaurants registered for the scheme and order food to eat in – and there is no need for a voucher.
Takeaway orders don’t qualify but customers can take food away after it arrives, as long as the order was made as a dine-in customer. Discounts will be refunded to each business on a weekly basis by the UK Government.
Sunak told hospitality owners: “HMRC’s registration page will soon have you on your way to welcoming back your customers with discounted dining every Monday to Wednesday throughout
August, with a simple process to reclaim these discounts back from the Government each week.”
All Bar One, Burger King, Harvester, Frankie & Benny’s and Nando’s have signed up to the scheme and all hospitality firms that offer sit-in dining can apply.
HMRC CEO Jim Hara said: “Businesses have made great efforts to reopen their sit-down services safely.”