Major food chains like Pizza Hut, Deliveroo, Itsu, Wagamama, and Pret a Manger have recently asked UK prime minister, Boris Johnson for urgent support to avoid mass closures amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Food companies fear that the newly imposed physical distancing norms could threaten the future of restaurants, hugely affecting their business operations. Reportedly, these firms, representing over 1,000 restaurants in the nation, have written a letter to the prime minister suggesting a range of preventive measures that are necessary to weather a lengthy duration of reduced capacity. According to reliable sources, the signatories included independent restaurant owners from the UK that warned the government that unless additional support is offered by the federal bodies, these temporarily closed restaurants might stay permanently shut to prevent further losses due to this pandemic. Evidently, the most high-profile signatories include Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret a Manger; Julian Metcalfe, chief executive and founder of Itsu; general manager of Pizza Hut, Neil Manhas; and Emma Woods, the Wagamama’s boss. Apparently, some of the measures stated in this letter include continuing the job retention scheme for restaurant employees while practicing social distancing measures and curbing the VAT on restaurant food. Meanwhile, subsidizing staff’s pay who came back to work full-time while the restaurants weren’t able to operate at maximum capacity was also a highlighted measure in this letter. Speaking on the move, Will Shu, Chief Executive and Founder, Deliveroo, said that the company is proud to be part of the country’s restaurant industry, which acts as a major contributor to local communities and UK’s economy. This is why the company is urging UK’s federal regulatory bodies to adopt this list of measures to ensure effective functioning of the country’s amazing restaurant sector. Source Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/16/deliveroo-and-food-chains-ask-boris-johnson-for-help-during-pandemic
