Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Diners do their bit to help out
Over 100,000 meals were enjoyed in Monklands
Monklands diners saved a combined total of £668,000 on 105,000 meals as they headed back to hospitality during August using the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
A total of 54,000 discounted orders were served up in participating restaurants in the Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill constituency area last month, and 51,000 in neighbouring Airdrie & Shotts.
Diners in Coatbridge received an average discount of £ 6.87 through the scheme – the ninthhighest local area discount in Scotland and above the national average saving of £6.10.
Restaurant owner Eddie Harty told the Advertiser how the scheme had proved such a success at his Fourways premises in Airdrie and The Junction in Whifflet that he is now running a similar, selffunded discount scheme this month – which was booked to capacity within a matter of hours.
He said: “The discount was the biggest thing that brought people out last month – it certainly helped my business and I hope it’s done the same for others too.
“Fourways was always busy but has increased its turnover. Even though there are now fewer tables, they turn over quicker so there’s a lot of footfall, and this scheme certainly made the light at the end of the tunnel brighter.
“When we decided to continue the discount ourselves for four days a week through September, the whole month filled up in one day.
“Every time the phone went down it would just start ringing again and even people looking for three weeks’ time were being told it was fully booked.
“Providing the discount ourselves is speculating to accumulate, but if we can add new customers that will be a great thing, and it’s been great as I don’t think our turnover would have got back to where it had been if it wasn’t for Eat Out to Help Out.
“We do a lot with regard to social distancing, sanitiser and regulations, which gives customers confidence about coming in, and we’re seeing a large number of new customers so we hope they’ll then come back in the future.”
Coatbridge had 50 businesses participating in the governmentsponsored scheme, which saw customers receive 50 per cent or up to £10 per person off the bill for sit- down meals from Mondays to Wednesdays to encourage a return to eating out following the coronavirus lockdown.
Airdrie & Shotts diners saved an average of £ 5.81 during the scheme at the area’s 62 locally-registered businesses. The figures do not include participating chains with more than 25 outlets such as fast-food giants and supermarket cafes.
Coatbridge restaurants have so far claimed a total of £370,000 from the government, and those in Airdrie £ 298,000, with the numbers potentially set to rise further as they so far include claims made up to August 27, and owners still have the rest of this month to make their final submissions to the scheme.
Margaret Mitchell, the Central Scotland MSP, urged residents to continue supporting local businesses, saying: “Eat Out to Help Out was an inspiringly innovative idea and one that has proven hugely popular right across Lanarkshire.
“This has been a muchneeded and welcome boost for the hospitality sector to kickstart it following the Covid- 19 shutdown and has revitalised our many terrific restaurants, pubs, cafes and other hospitality businesses across the area.
“Without it, many jobs might have been lost – instead these now stand a real chance of being saved as a result of the scheme encouraging us to support the hospitality industry and local economy, but the need for this support doesn’t end now the scheme has concluded.”