Pubs working hard to open up again amid uncertainty

With less than a month to go until pubs across Dundee can open their doors and gardens again, landlords are again having to prepare for yet another reopening.

Many fear that even after investing thousands of pounds to stay afloat during lockdown they will still struggle to survive, while others have admitted they have neither the finances nor the enthusiasm to begin all over again.

From April 26, hospitality can operate in Level 3 restrictions, meaning restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars can open indoors and outdoors until 6pm for the consumption of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Alcohol can be served outside and a maximum number of six people from two households can meet up.

There are also concerns that the hospitality trade could yet again be hit badly if there is another lockdown.

Among those spending tens of thousands of pounds in a bid to welcome back customers is well known Dundee publican Jimmy Marr, who runs the Perth Road Pub Company.

Late last year Jimmy revealed that financial pressures caused by Covid19 forced his tenant landlord in 172 The Caird to hand back the keys.

Jimmy has taken the hotel back on himself and is now attempting to get ready for reopening on April 26.

He has also reached an agreement with Dundee City Council which will allow him to serve food and drink on the pavement outside at one of his other pubs, the Tay Bridge Bar in Perth Road.

Jimmy said: “Like many other publicans across Dundee, I’m doing everything I can to get the doors opened once more next month.

“I’m lucky that I have the money to invest at the moment but it’s already costing me £30,000 to prepare to open and there’s no guarantee that we won’t be forced to close yet again.”

Jimmy said that he has bought marquees for the beer garden at The Caird and has employed tradesmen to build 15 pods to allow customers to stay dry when sitting outside.

There will be 10 of these pods – wooden, covered style picnic benches to seat six – at the Caird and another five will be situated in the small layby at the front door of the Tay Bridge.

Jimmy said: “I have reached an agreement with Dundee City Council that will allow me to use that area, in the short term, to seat customers outside the bar, allowing me to open up.

“We are already fully booked for April 26 but there are a lot of concerns about how this will work.”

Dundee City Council has revealed it is seeking urgent clarification from the Scottish Government on the funding grants it can give to landlords.

The pledge comes as two Dundee publicans have admitted they are fighting for survival fearing that “minor” breaches of Covid-19 regulations has lost them tens of thousands of pounds.

Paul Rae of the Albert Bar and Lynn Mackie of Ross’s Bar, both in Stobswell, are seeking urgent clarification of the rules after the local authority has refused them discretionary funding, administered on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Picture by Kim Cessford. Dundee publican Jimmy Marr is installing pods at The Caird.