What’s worse than a rainy first bank holiday Monday of outdoor dining, after months of waiting?
Any restaurateur looking to reopen in the current outdoor settings will tell you that rain and strong winds are generally bad for business. As many restaurants adjust to a new normal of outdoor dining during phase 1 of the UK’s hospitality reopening, the wet weather is slowly becoming yet another hurdle.
People tend to desert bookings for outdoor dining during an intense episode of rain because they appreciate being inside. Bars & restaurants are losing so many clients because of the weather, with fewer opportunities to attract new clients and generate revenue.
On Saturday, TGC met with Callum proprietor at Shrub Chester, who has set up an impressive outdoor area in the heart of Chester, Eastgate street, where people usually stop for an afternoon snack and plant-based dining. He explained that Shrub restaurant is responding quickly to the reintroduction of alfresco dining, operating with a series of tables right on the cross of the city center. However, a rainy weekend is a worst-case scenario, we are having to work under uncertainty because of the weather. I can’t wait to open the restaurant for indoor dining.
Shrub Chester is a modern bar, vegetarian, vegan restaurant, and cafe in the heart of Chester city center in Cheshire.
Shrub Chester : Photo Credit 
Eatery, cocktails & coffee.
Modern cafe culture in the heart of the city.
Numerous bars and restaurants throughout Cheshire announced that they won’t be opening their outdoor areas for Monday bank holiday, due to adverse weather conditions. This should continue to be a trend for restauranteurs in the coming weeks due to the unpredictability of English weather.
In a short statement shared on their social media channels, Telford’s Warehouse Chester said:
We’re phoning everybody with a booking today to let you know that we are closing from 3 pm due to the bloody weather! Sorry for the inconvenience
The Covid crisis is still around the corner, many political leaders still have reservations about a return to indoor dining and it is becoming more evident that during uncertain times, the takeout system will prove a huge plus.
Restaurants would have to continue to play ball with the weather by pulling the tables in and out and having to close for the weekend if the weather interrupts.
Until indoor dining resumes, restaurants will have to continue to generate revenue through takeout and delivery to stay afloat.
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