LONDON: A British government scheme to encourage people to visit restaurants, by paying a slice of the bill, has boosted a sector devastated by the coronavirus, according to a study published on Monday. She noted it encouraged people to use restaurants while also helping people “get back into the habit of socializing,” which could provide a broader economic benefit. In contrast to the healthy restaurant figures for Monday to Wednesday, diner numbers fell 21.3 percent on Thursday to Sunday, the CEBR said, citing figures from OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service. It also showed that 1,467 restaurants have closed, an increase of 59.1 percent compared to 2019. Among the UK high street chains impacted include Pizza Express, which has announced more than 1,000 possible job losses, and Carluccio’s which has collapsed.

Source: Manila Times August 17, 2020 16:18 UTC