All MCA Insight articles in April 2020 – Page 2
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NewsWellington to cancel rent ‘as appropriate’
Wellington Pub Company has announced it will offer tenants a three-month rent-free period “as appropriate”, but said it was taking a case by case approach.
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NewsEmeny: Social distancing could be ‘catastrophic’ for pubs
Fuller’s CEO Simon Emeny has warned company revenue could be down by as much as 80% under social distancing measures.
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NewsGovernment fears over packed pubs
Pub landlords could ration customers to two or three pints to maintain social distancing, under proposed plans from a behavioural economist and government advisor.
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NewsWagamama to return to deliveries
Wagamama is set to commence offering deliveries from four dark kitchens. The chain says it has devised a schedule that will allow staff to “slowly return to delivery-only work at their own discretion” as part of a “test and learn approach” for the business.
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NewsMcDonald’s begins tests for reopening
McDonald’s is carrying out tests this week in preparation for reopening a number of sites, UK CEO Paul Pomroy has said.
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NewsBao launches delivery brand
Bao, the London-based Taiwanese buns concept, has announced plans for an all-new delivery-only brand called Rice Error.
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NewsAlix Partners: How to navigate the CBILS minefield
As the coronavirus continues to dominate global headlines and financial decision making, businesses of all sizes are facing unprecedented challenges to preserve liquidity. One of the responsive measures unveiled by the chancellor has been government-backed loans. The first such scheme was the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which was announced and launched by Rishi Sunak last month.
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NewsUKH drafts covid-19 operating framework for sector
UK Hospitality is working on an industry-wide voluntary framework on how to operate safely amid social distancing, MCA’s The Conversation has heard.
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NewsNando’s to trial public delivery
Nando’s has announced it will offer delivery from its seven open stores on a trial basis, with the possibility of opening more sites when it is safe to do so.
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NewsChancellor unveils 100% state-backed loan scheme for small businesses
Small firms will be able to borrow up to £50,000 in 100% state-backed loans, chancellor Rishi Sunak has said.
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NewsShepherd Neame reopens online store
Shepherd Neame has reopened its online store, with beers, ciders and wines available for consumers to order by the case.
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NewsSt Austell launches ‘hero pint’ campaign
St Austell Brewery has launched a ‘Hero Pint,’ campaign, encouraging consumers to gift a pint to NHS staff, key workers “and hundreds of heroes in-between.”
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NewsEverards: Too early to charge tenants rent
Everards has cancelled rent for tenants for April and May in recognition that government support for the pub sector is only just starting to come through.
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NewsShake Shack to reopen two restaurants
Shake Shack will re-open its Tottenham Court Road and Canary Wharf locations for takeaway and delivery this week.
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OpinionPeter Martin: How to make friends, and influence the right people
The prime minister is safely back in Downing Street, and there are more signs of life in the out-of-home market as the likes of Burger King, Pret a Manger and KFC take tentative steps to reopen sites. But for much of the hospitality and leisure sector the outlook remains uncertain and confusing. Last week’s pronouncement by chief medical officer Chris Whitty that “disruptive” social distancing is likely to be a feature of day-to-day life even until the end of the year, did nothing to calm the nerves of an already under pressure industry.
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NewsPrezzo offers staff ‘income streaming’
Prezzo has teamed up with Wagestream so its 3,000 employees can access their furlough pay early. Wagestream offers workers early access to their accrued pay when they need it, allowing them to withdraw a percentage of their earned wages for a flat £1.75 fee. Prezzo said offering staff the income streaming service would help them cope with additional pressures bought on by the coronavirus.
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NewsYumpingo makes its ‘Everywhere’ review platform free
Yumpingo is giving away its ‘Everywhere’ one-minute review platform for free to restaurants offering delivery and takeaway. It said it was the first of a new range of products it’s launching to help the industry “come back better”. “With such uncertainty as to when and how to get back to market, getting real time feedback from your customers to adapt and optimise your service model and menu has never been more important,” said Yumpingo founder and CEO Gary Goodman.
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NewsGovernment support not enough, says UK Hospitality
UK Hospitality has highlighted issues with the government support for operators during the coronavirus crisis, after surveying businesses on their experience of applying for loans, insurance claims, the speed of grant payments and workforce issues. It said around half (48%) of businesses had applied for loans, but 57% had their applications denied. Government-imposed State Aid rules made up 26% of those rejections, while 28% were denied with banks insisting businesses had to exhaust their own capital first.
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NewsGreggs to re-open 20 sites on 4 May
Greggs is planning to re-open 20 sites in Newcastle on 4 May, and hopes to have 700 sites open by 1 July. In a letter to staff, CEO Roger Whiteside said the business would carry out a “controlled trial” in 20 shops in the Newcastle area staffed by “retail volunteers” from the business. The trial re-opening will see stores offering a limited range and shorter opening hours. Greggs plans to open for two weeks before assessing how it went, but it plans for the shops to remain open.
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NewsWatson: Pubs must act responsibly to re-emerge ‘with as little pain as possible’
The pub industry will have act responsibly and ensure the safety of its staff and customers if it wants to prevent a sporadic reopening period, Clive Watson, City Pub Group executive chairman has told MCA.