The landlady of a Richmond town centre pubs says they are delaying their reopening amid concerns about the numbers of people who could go out drinking this weekend.
Pubs and restaurants in England are allowed to reopen on Saturday after being closed since March to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The day has been dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ with some predicting it could be as busy as New Year’s Eve.
But Tenille Wren, landlady of the Town Hall Hotel, in Richmond, said they had decided to delay their reopening until Monday, July 6.
She said: “I have concerns as it’s been named ‘Super Saturday’ on social media.
“A worrying factor for this weekend is that more people will be off work than a weekday plus it’s pay weekend.
“I feel it would be safer and sensible for myself and staff to find our feet with a completely new way of working on a quieter day.”
Tenille said it was currently a nerve wracking time for licensees.
“We all want to be back doing what we love but it’s people before profits.
“We have to get this right to give customers a safe and comfortable experience when they visit us.”
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Well done Tenille for this highly sensible approach. Just a shame that a Yorkshire publican has the foresight to see the problem in reopening pubs up all on the same day and at a weekend, in a way that highly paid government ministers appear unable to grasp! I suspect that Johnson was so keen to coincide reopening of pubs with American Independence Day, for some symbolic gesture that the practicalities of doing so were of little to no consideration to him and his team. He won’t be the one dealing with the issues that night!
Instead of trying to play political point scoring, why not accept the reality that just like the Town Hall, any pub can choose which day it re-opens. It is not compulsory to open in 4 July!
Well done Tenille,let’s hope that the rest of the publicans in Richmond will do the same as you,Health before Wealth every time.Super Saturday will just attract the idiots that can’t handle their drink & cause a miserable time for the sensible people that will be out.It won’t be a so Super Saturday for the police & the A&E Department’s in & around area.Behave yourselves people & know you’re limits,drink sensibly & don’t get into rounds with you’re friends,drink at you’re own pace!
Well done Tenille, Richmond has had too much bad press lately.
Tennille is spot on. She knows her customers, she knows her regulars are loyal and are happy to wait until Monday. She doesn’t need the hassle even though she’s been financially crippled by these last few months…
Splendid comments Paul. Couldn’t put it any better.
Sensible as always Great landlady.