Restaurant recovery with community support
A SOUTHPORT restaurant is seeking to recover from the pandemic with the support of the local community.
The Pavilion Southport is one of over 70 local businesses accepting the Southport Gift Card, run by Miconex to stimulate economic activity in the high street.
There’s never been a better time to buy and use the gift card as local businesses continue to return to something like normality and repair the damage of months of restricted, or no, trading.
Paul Dobson, general manager at The Pavilion, said the business has been running for two years and has a reputation for fresh, locally sourced food, but, during the first lockdown, the restaurant had to close.
Taking advantage of a government grant, The Pavilion spent time improving the premises, introducing outdoor canopies and heaters for the colder weather.
Paul said: “The business furloughed the staff and made sure they were looked after. It’s been a real struggle.”
But Paul is keen to get the business back on track over the next few months.
He said: “Southport looks like a staycation destination, so we hope we can serve the lovely tourists and give Southport a reputation it deserves.”
Speaking about the Southport Gift Card, Paul said everyone at the Pavilion loves the idea.”
He said: “I think the incentives for the local community can grow into a worthy project, and hopefully, it will push winter revenues up.
“As with the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, the gift card showed that people would happily eat out given the incentive to do so.” Paul and the rest of the team are now hopeful for the future and hope that residents will help support the business by visiting.
He said: “We have noticed people using Southport as a meeting point. Google searches for the business are at 60,000 for the month, which is pleasing.”