Widespread relief for Shanghai's restaurant sector as dine-in resumes

Haidilao International Holding

29/06/2022 07:55

By Casey Hall
    SHANGHAI, June 29 (Reuters) - Restaurants and eateries in
China's largest city Shanghai begun reopening their doors to
diners on Wednesday, bringing widespread relief to an industry
that was badly hit by the city's two month COVID-19 lockdown. 
    Large chains such as hot pot brand Haidilao  6862.HK , fine
dining establishments and family owned eateries had started
scrubbing tableware and getting uniforms laundered since
Saturday when authorities announced the curbs were lifting, a
month after the city's lockdown eased on June 1. 
    "It's a very good feeling," said Oli Liu, co-owner of tapas
restaurant chain Brownstone as he prepared to open his five
outlets for indoor dining on Wednesday. 
    "With indoor dining we can make money...Until now we could
do takeaway and delivery but the commissions we have to pay (to
delivery platforms) means we can't make money from that."
    Many restaurants in the city of 25 million were forced to
suspend dine-in services as early as mid-March when the number
of COVID-19 cases in Shanghai began rising. While some were able
to resume food deliveries in the midst of the lockdown, others
remained shut throughout. 
    The reopening, however, is far from straightforward. Some
owners said they had not yet received the green light from their
districts and are required to cap customer numbers at 50% as
well as a limit each session to 90 minutes. 
    All restaurant staff will also be required to undergo daily
COVID testing, while diners have to show proof of a PCR test
taken within three days to enter. 
    Local media reports have also suggested dining parties
should nominate a "leader" who will be responsible for their
table, though it's unclear what might happen if guests later
test positive. 
    Complying with such onerous rules will not be easy, and many
eateries already have or are expected to call it quits, said    
Stefan Stiller, chef-owner of fine dining restaurant Taian
Table, who added that he expects restrictions to be in place in
some form for the rest of the year. 
    For his three-star Michelin restaurant that only seats 30 at
capacity and specialises in 10 to 12 course tasting menus that
typically take several hours to complete, meeting the criteria
is "not so easy ... but we will manage somehow," he said.
    But many diners are eager to get back into restaurants after
months of mostly eating at home.  
    One of the first customers through the door at Brownstone's
Lujiazui location at lunchtime on Wednesday was a Shanghai
resident surnamed He.
    "Normally at home I don't cook... I have especially missed
eating out," he said. "For so long I missed eating many things -
crayfish, barbecue, drinking beer."
    

 (Reporting by Casey Hall; Additional reporting by Sophie Yu in
Beijing; Editing by Michael Perry)
 ((Casey.Hall@thomsonreuters.com;))