Edinburgh restaurants wary of reopening amid fears of consumer confidence

NICOLA Sturgeon will decide next week whether to cut the physical distancing rule from two metres to one, with the hospitality sector saying it could mean the difference between survival or closure for many.

But even if the rule is relaxed, some Capital bars and restaurants are wary of reopening after a poll showed two-thirds of people were “uncomfortable” about returning to pubs and eateries.

Paul Brennan, co-owner of Dine restaurant above the Traverse, said he would not reopen on July 15, the date set for the sector to restart.

He said: “I don’t think the confidence is there yet and I think it’s going to take a long time to come back.”

He said a move to one metre was crucial. “At one metre we can operate, at two metres we can’t.” But he said when the hospitality sector reopened in other countries the restaurants were often remained quiet.

“I think a lot of people are going to open up and not be able to sustain the operating costs. I’m going to hold back and see how everyone else fares first.”

He said he would aim to open in August. But much of his usual custom comes from theatre-goers or business people lunching.

“A city without a festival, a city with few tourists, a city without any theatre or concerts and a city where at lunchtime the majority of business people are working from home is a city without customers.”

Restaurateur Matthew Korecki, who owns Otro in Coates Crescent and New Chapter in Eyre Place, has not decided whether to open on July 15 or not.

He said there was no guarantee diners would return to restaurants on the reopening day.

“They don’t care what the government says - they’ll do things at their pace, when they feel comfortable with it.

“There are places that aren’t going to open this year at all, there are others ready in the starting blocks - and it’s hard to see who you should follow.

“I think August 1 will be better - I would like to have mote information about other places and how people will behave.”

Garry Clark, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said if the two metre rule was cut, there should be an education campaign to help people feel comfortable with it.