The hospitality businesses desperate to reopen

Pubs, bars, restaurants and tourist hotspots remain in limbo following the latest statement on Scotland’s lockdown exit.
Paul Kitching and partner Katie O'Brien say they are desperate to have customers back at Edinburgh's 21212 restaurant and are now taking bookings for their cosy rooms with no deposit until they can officially reopenPaul Kitching and partner Katie O'Brien say they are desperate to have customers back at Edinburgh's 21212 restaurant and are now taking bookings for their cosy rooms with no deposit until they can officially reopen
Paul Kitching and partner Katie O'Brien say they are desperate to have customers back at Edinburgh's 21212 restaurant and are now taking bookings for their cosy rooms with no deposit until they can officially reopen

With a return to the levels system which was in place last year, opening dates for hospitality premises cannot yet be determined.

The Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar in Edinburgh opened in January 2020, just before the pandemic took hold.

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But managing director, and owner of Nonna’s Kitchen, Gino Stornaiulo, has since sought to put safety and security at the heart of the restaurant’s operations. “I think we've got many things going in our favour,” said Mr Stornaiulo. “The most important is probably space - when we opened previously people commented on just how spacious and safe it felt because it’s so big and open.”

Steph Meikle, chef at Moor of Rannoch hotel, says she and husband Scott are looking forward to having guests return to their remote, idyllic spot in Pitlochry in the near futureSteph Meikle, chef at Moor of Rannoch hotel, says she and husband Scott are looking forward to having guests return to their remote, idyllic spot in Pitlochry in the near future
Steph Meikle, chef at Moor of Rannoch hotel, says she and husband Scott are looking forward to having guests return to their remote, idyllic spot in Pitlochry in the near future

Mr Stornaiulo also fitted the restaurant with perspex screens and an extensive air handling and conditioning system to improve ventilation in the restaurant. “This obviously meant more overheads,” he added, “but we felt it was important to understand the importance of making people feel safe and comfortable.”

While complying with safety restrictions can realise fears of creating a less relaxed, more sterile environment, Mr Stornaiulo said he is confident that the Paolozzi Restaurant’s measures will help encourage customers to revisit when hospitality can reopen: “It’s all about striking that balance. We want people to be safe, to be in control of their orders and so on, but we also want to be on hand to help them or to give them some bad chat and provide that proper restaurant experience.”

Katie O’Brien and partner Chef Paul Kitching run Edinburgh restaurant 21212 and recently took the decision to allow customers to book one of the site’s four rooms in anticipation of the prospective reopening - taking no deposit on bookings until a reopening date is confirmed.

“It’s just providing customers with a little bit of hope” said Ms O’Brien. “There's no harm done and it’s just sort of positive thinking, letting customers get excited and think ‘I'm doing something that's normal, having something to potentially look forward to and I'm not going to lose any money if I can’t go.’”

Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar in Edinburgh's Old Town has installed an extensive air conditioning system with filtration to keep its spacious site as safe and ventilated as possible.Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar in Edinburgh's Old Town has installed an extensive air conditioning system with filtration to keep its spacious site as safe and ventilated as possible.
Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar in Edinburgh's Old Town has installed an extensive air conditioning system with filtration to keep its spacious site as safe and ventilated as possible.

Moor of Rannoch, tucked away in the picturesque Pitlochry landscape, is also eagerly awaiting a prospective reopening date. Yet many things hang in the balance when it comes to reopening a hospitality business so remote, said co-owner and chef Steph Meikle: “I imagine it will take a lot longer to build up our stock because we're all assuming that our suppliers are able to fulfil orders immediately. There could be a huge, huge demand on all our small suppliers.”

“It's not just so simple for us to wait and get the announcements for reopening - it depends on what caveats come along with this.” explained Ms Meikle.Should restrictions for reopening once again restrict alcohol sales, require outdoor seating or two metre social distancing, hotels like Moor of Rannoch are forced to consider whether they should open at all.

“We have to make sure that we can reopen with the closest thing to a quality offering and I cannot really see us reopening if we cannot sell alcohol. Of course there’s the financial element it brings for the business but, more importantly, it's part of the guest experience."

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As the Scottish Government mulls the route out of lockdown for the coming months, Ms Meikle remains hopeful about reopening in future. “We're really excited to have guests back,” she said. “We have so many regulars that it can almost feel like you're inviting friends back, so it's exciting to know that when we do reopen we'll be able to see those familiar faces again.”

The Moor of Rannoch hotel in highland Perthshire provides a space for visitors to unwind, relax and escape in its remote location on Rannoch MoorThe Moor of Rannoch hotel in highland Perthshire provides a space for visitors to unwind, relax and escape in its remote location on Rannoch Moor
The Moor of Rannoch hotel in highland Perthshire provides a space for visitors to unwind, relax and escape in its remote location on Rannoch Moor

“At the end of the day though, as much as we really want to open, we want to be able to be confident that we can stay open for an extended period, rather than be forced to close the short notice.”

Marc Crothall, CEO of Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: "We know now that businesses will have to stay closed for Easter and yesterday's announcement by the First Minister said that we may be able to get open for the summer.

"We wanted to get a statement of intent around Easter in particular, so I mean that sort of puts that to bed. So now it’s all about the months ahead in terms of what the opportunity for reopening presents itself as and when it's right to do so, as well as thinking about how businesses can ensure that they can deliver an experience and attract enough citizens. We obviously want to have hopefully a longer trading period than we did last season, with no more lockdowns.”

Likewise, VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said: “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Scottish tourism and with restrictions still in place, there is still uncertainty on what the coming season will look like. Whilst we continue to focus on delivering much-needed funding for the industry, we are also continuing to work closely with the industry to get tourism ready for reopening, supporting businesses to plan, adapt and update their skills in preparation for welcoming visitors back when it is safe to do so and when restrictions allow.”

The Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar, run by Gino Stornaiuolo, is looking forward to welcoming customers back into its spacious site complete with an app for ordering and perspex screensThe Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar, run by Gino Stornaiuolo, is looking forward to welcoming customers back into its spacious site complete with an app for ordering and perspex screens
The Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar, run by Gino Stornaiuolo, is looking forward to welcoming customers back into its spacious site complete with an app for ordering and perspex screens

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