Coronavirus: the positive hospitality industry moves
- Japanese restaurant Hot Stone in Islington has launched a complimentary taxi service initiative for diners who still wish to visit the restaurant. Offering a maximum of £30 in taxi credit per person, customers will need to display their receipt via their phones from any taxi provider. The cost will then be taken and doubled to account for the journey home afterwards, and the total cost will then be deducted from the customer’s final food and drink bill.
- The Carpenters Arms in Fulbrook is working to help support the over 70s in its community who are unable to leave the house. As well as offering a 15% discount on meals from the pub’s menu, which will be delivered to customers, The Carpenters Arms team is also looking to help those unable to make it to the shops by delivering a short list of basic groceries including butter, cheddar, bread, milk, bacon, and eggs.
- London-based restaurant group Qoot is launching a free lunchbox service for children who would usually be entitled to a free school meal. Available across all its By Chloe, Dominique Ansel, and Gentlemen Barista locations in the capital, the lunchbox will contain a sandwich, a drink and a snack. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, restaurant group Civerinos Food Club has said it is offering school children eligible for free meals a complimentary pizza slice at any of its three city centre locations from Monday-Friday from 12-2pm until further notice.
- Yet more brands are showing their support for NHS workers, with Yard Sale Pizza in London offering 50% off collection and 25% for delivery for health service staff. The restaurant says it will also be doing regular free pizza deliveries to local hospitals: Whipps, Homerton, and Royal London. Meanwhile Wildcard, which operates out of The Prince in West Brompton, is offering free meals to all NHS staff; all they need to do is show their pass on arrival.
- Just Eat has announced a 30-day ‘emergency support package’ for restaurants, including a 33% rebate on commission fees. The delivery firm is removing commission completely on collection orders and waiving sign-up fees for new operators joining its platform, but only until 19 April. It is also relaxing rules to allow restaurants to work with other delivery aggregators such as Deliveroo and UberEats, regardless of contractual terms. While the measures are initially only for 30 days, Just Eat says it will review the situation and support package "as the crisis continues to develop".
