RETRAIN STAFF

landlords and tenants for extra space to be made available using little used areas of properties or neighbouring sites as extra hospitality space.

Pubs and restaurants will be able to use car parks and other outdoor spaces to serve customers without any change to their licences, and could also spill into the street if they can get permission. The government has made it easier for restaurants and pubs to get outdoor licences, with a cost of under £100 for an application to put tables onto the street, and a faster decisionmaking process.

Ross suggests that negotiations with landlords could involve opening up more space on a basis that rent is paid on turnover from that space, to ensure that everyone feels they are getting a fair deal. ‘Both landlords and tenants need to accept that these are difficult times,’ he says.

There may be extra space needs too, for example a space for staff to change safely from outdoor clothes into indoor uniform to ensure that the virus is not carried into the restaurant on the clothes they travel in on.

In some businesses, even the new guidance of ‘one metre plus’ will reduce

the number of people who can be in a space. Screening solutions can help to keep everyone safe. Simon Campbell, from interior fit-out specialist Portview, is working with companies to ensure they are ready to reopen. ‘Screening and other measures will give customers confidence,’ he says, adding that less visible safety measures, such as HighEfficiency Particulate Air filters can also improve safety while not distracting from the ambiance of a space.

Making your staff feel safe and welcome will be key to getting the reopening strategy right, says Russell Nathan, senior partner at accountancy firm HW Fisher.

James from RotaCloud says that staff will need to be retrained so that everyone is kept safe, as social distancing is not intuitive. ‘Staff will need retraining to work in your “new normal” business. They will need to social distance from both customers and each other. There will be new processes that they’ll need to learn and understand. They may need to be instructed on when, or where, to wear PPE and there will be enhanced cleaning

schedules that will need to be adhered to, too. There are a lot of new things to get used to, so ensuring that any new procedures are crystal clear, even before they get back into their workplace, will help make staff feel safer and more confident in returning to work.’

GIVE IT TIME

It’s natural to hope that everything will go back to normal immediately, but Russell at HW Fisher says that many businesses will find that they need to run both their new business and a ‘Covid pivot’ business, such as a takeaway option, for some time, with some customers not yet ready to return and others now accustomed to more takeaway options. ‘Businesses will need to continue to be innovative,’ he says. He adds that many restaurants have offered loyal customers vouchers for meals at a reduced rate, which will help tempt people back, and this strategy may still work if still offered now.

Ross at Colliers, warns that many people may be unwilling to head out yet. ‘Many people aren’t ready to return. We’ve moved from FOMO − fear of missing out − to FOGO − fear of going out,’ he says. ‘It may take time.’