Results of a new survey have been released ahead of the reopening of any pub that serves food from next Monday.
(Source: pixabay)Seven in ten pub goers say they are worried that other customers will not take safety measures seriously when pubs reopen.
The two organisations that represent the industry, the Licensed Vintners' Association and the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, have carried out research which shows that three out of four regular pub goers plan on returning during the first month.
The most likely reason for people to go to bars when they reopen is for food.
Chief Executive of the LVA, Donall O'Keefe, says all publicans must behave responsibly:
"The single biggest concern that our customers have is that other customers will not follow the guidelines carefully and will not take the guidelines seriously. There's a big challenge there for the publicans and for the businesses themselves to ensure compliance with the guidelines. The health of our staff and our customers must come first and we expect all our members to follow the guidelines closely in that regard."
Elsewhere today the drinks company Diageo has announced a €14,000,000 support package for pubs to help them recover from the financial impact of the pandemic.
Our new global programme, “Raising the Bar”, will support pubs and bars to welcome customers back and recover following the COVID-19 pandemic: https://t.co/40CD6eTwOC #RaisingTheBar pic.twitter.com/96x0jfoGD7
— Diageo News (@Diageo_News) June 24, 2020
The company, which owns Guinness, says the scheme is part of a global project to help the sector bounce back after a tough few months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is also a plan to use hundreds of thousands of unused kegs from the Covid-19 lockdown as fertiliser for Christmas trees.
Diageo has recalled the kegs, which couldn't be used because pubs and restaurants were closed.
