Shaftesbury swings to £287m first half loss as coronavirus hits property value June 10, 2020 West End landlord Shaftesbury has swung to a £287m first half loss, as the value of its estate plummeted in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The company, which has a portfolio of restaurants, pubs, shops, and workspaces in central London, said that the store closures brought about by the nationwide lockdown had affected tenants’ [...]
UK lockdown: Zoos and drive-in cinemas could reopen from 15 June June 10, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is today expected to outline which sectors of the UK economy will reopen after lockdown on 15 June, such as zoos and drive-in cinemas. The UK is slowly reopening its economy after it entered lockdown on 23 March, leading to the widespread closure of restaurants, pubs, gyms, cafes and most shops [...]
Hospitality industry asks government for financial support to overcome rent deadlock June 9, 2020 The hospitality industry has warned there will be significant job losses and business failures unless the government provides financial support to overcome the rent stand-off between landlords and tenants. Trade body UK Hospitality has said that a continued “stalemate” between landlords and tenants on the matter of unpaid rent needs to be resolved or reopening [...]
Number 10 pours cold water on speculation UK pubs will open on 22 June June 8, 2020 Downing Street has poured cold water on reports that parts of the hospitality industry will be re-opened two weeks ahead of schedule on 22 June. Reports in the Financial Times and The Times today said ministers were looking at re-opening the sector on 22 June for venues that can serve patrons in outdoor spaces. However, [...]
Boris Johnson moves to ease lockdown faster in face of mass job losses June 7, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to accelerate the speed of easing the coronavirus lockdown, after warnings of impending mass unemployment. Ministers have drawn up plans to bring Britain back to something resembling normal life by July, in order to ensure industries benefit from summer trading. The new plans will see the government allow planning restrictions to [...]
Coronavirus: How safe is it to order takeaway food in lockdown? June 5, 2020 Restaurants have started pivoting to takeaway services amid the pandemic to stay afloat as normal service will only be able to resume, in some capacity, in July. The government has not ruled out restaurants from offering takeaway services and last month issued guidance. We look at how safe it is to order takeaway food and [...]
A menu of options to keep our restaurants alive June 4, 2020 You all know the image: a politician enjoying a pint or a meal at their local restaurant. There are handshakes all round and a picture is posted on Twitter. It is — rightly — a scene that shows MPs or councillors backing businesses, particularly the small and medium sized enterprises which make up the lifeblood [...]
Pubs say ‘time running out’ to be ready for 4 July reopening June 4, 2020 The UK’s pub lobby has warned the government that its members urgently need clarity on how it will reopen the sector if they are going to be ready by the target date of 4 July. The British Beer and Pub Association (BPPA) said today that pubs will need at least three weeks’ notice for when [...]
Green shoots: Four charts that suggest the worst is over for the UK economy June 4, 2020 The UK economy suffered its worst month in living memory in April, but there are tentative signs that things began improving in May as coronavirus restrictions were gradually lifted. “The government’s plans for a progressive opening up of non-essential stores in June suggest that the low point for the economy is behind us,” said Ruth [...]
Survive and thrive: KERB hopes to bring some flavour to the streets June 4, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, Simon Mitchell – CEO of street food pioneers KERB – writes for City A.M. on his hopes for the future, inside and outside their new Covent Garden flagship Rewind 11 weeks ago to [...]