WATCH: 'We're back' NI pubs, hotels and restaurants celebrate return to business
Out of lockdown and determined to give customers best possible service
Last updated 3rd Jul 2020
Hotels and eateries have been declared open for business following the coronavirus lockdown.
From Friday, hotels, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, pubs, bars, museums and galleries in Northern Ireland will be able to welcome customers back while abiding by social-distancing rules.
Indoor pubs and bars will have to primarily function as restaurants and offer substantial meals with table service.
The food prerequisite does not apply to alcohol being served outside in beer gardens, though table service is again compulsory.
And as pubs, hotels and restaurants re-opened we spoke to a number of owners and managers about what customers could expect.
Main picture Bar supervisor Jamie Devlin from the Thirsty Goat in Belfast.
Cian Landers, General manager at the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast said they were delighted to be back.
"We are expecting a very busy weekend having been closed for three months," he told Downtown & Cool FM
"But there is going to be a lot of interest - people will be wanting to see what it looks like with the new regulations in place.
"What's important for us really is that our customers get confidence from us this weekend - that they are comfortable."
Pub chiefs also welcomed the return to business but said there was still a long way to go for the industry.
Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster Chief Executive, said it was an important day for pubs but he warned it would be a long time before the industry was anywhere near back to normal.
"This is only the beginning of a long journey for the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland, " he said. "There will be no businesses making money tomorrow or indeed in the coming weeks but if they can break even if they can stop losing money that means they can preserve the jobs and businesses and start building our industry over time."
Downtown Radio & Cool FM Reporter Sarah McKinley spent yesterday in Belfast talking to bar and hotel owners about their plans.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds hailed the reopening of the sector as a hugely positive step forward as she visited a number of establishments on Friday.
"Businesses in this sector are a cornerstone of the Northern Ireland economy, employing around 65,000 people and generating in the region of #1 billion in revenue each year,'' she said.
"But these businesses also represent something more. They are the places people go to socialise, relax and enjoy themselves.
"We can so easily take this for granted but after it has not been available for three months, I believe people will be very pleased to once again have the opportunity to visit cafes, hotels, pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions.''
Mrs Dodds added: "Northern Ireland is world-renowned for its tourism and hospitality offering. While this year we may not welcome as many outside visitors here as we normally would during the summer, I am confident that businesses in the sector will see a great many local customers in the coming weeks and months and will deliver the quality offering that they are so well known for.
"It remains vital that everyone - business owners, staff and customers - takes the appropriate precautions. The recent relaxation of social distancing rules by the Executive will have a direct positive impact on tourism and hospitality businesses and also on the people using them, but we must not be complacent.
"So, alongside social distancing, please remember to continue practising good hand and respiratory hygiene while using our hotels, cafes, pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions so that everyone can enjoy them safely.''
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd also sounded a note of caution ahead of the reopenings, warning that the pandemic is not yet over.
"We understand that many people will want to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible, especially after having been unable to do so for so long,'' he said.
"Whilst we of course understand that people will want to go out and have a good time and enjoy themselves, we must remember that coronavirus is still a serious risk to health.
"The pandemic is not over. If you're planning to go out this weekend to your local pub when they reopen, our plea is simple - be sensible.''