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WETHERSPOON yesterday unveiled an £11million plan for getting its 875 pubs ready to reopen — but big reunions with pals will be banned.

Drinkers will notice changes as soon as they arrive, with separate doors to come and go, hand sanitiser and posters reminding them of the key rules.

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 The chain will install screens on bars and tables
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The chain will install screens on bars and tablesCredit: wetherspoons
 Wetherspoons has revealed plans for reopening 875 pubs with a reduced menu and temperature checks for staff
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Wetherspoons has revealed plans for reopening 875 pubs with a reduced menu and temperature checks for staffCredit: wetherspoons
 Wetherspoons will also advise customers to use provided hand sanitiser before entering the pubs
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Wetherspoons will also advise customers to use provided hand sanitiser before entering the pubsCredit: wetherspoons

These include “Don’t arrange to meet in big groups”.

Customers will be asked to order drinks on an app, while staff will be subject to temperature checks.

Pubs were forced to close on March 20, four days before the country went into lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis.

The government has already warned that pubs - along with hairdressers, cinemas and restaurants - won't be able to fully reopen until July "at the earliest".

But in the meantime, pubs and restaurant chains have been allowed to operate a food takeaway and delivery service.

Wetherspoons pubs have remained shut, but it's now announced plans for how to open safely once lockdown is eased.

It said it's investing £11million into new measures to keep staff and customers safe.

Apart from checking the temperatures of staff before they're allowed back to work, Wetherspoons will provide gloves, masks and protective eyewear.

It said employees can choose themselves whether to wear them or not, subject to government guidelines.

The pubs will also offer a "slightly reduced menu", although Wetherspoons hasn't yet confirmed what it includes.

Regular Wetherspoons customers don't need to worry about a massive menu change though, a spokesperson told The Sun.

The pub chain will also provide sachets of ketchup, mayonnaise, salt and pepper rather than the usual condiment bottles.

Different doors to enter and leave, where possible, will stop boozers having to pass each other.
There will be arrows to show customers and staff which way to walk around the pub, for example when going to the bar or to the loo.

At the entrance will be the first of a typical ten hand sanitisers dotted around the pub.

Once in, drinkers will be encouraged to use the Wetherspoon order and pay app, if possible, or pay at the bar using a contactless card. Cash will be accepted.

 Customers will be encouraged to use the Wetherspoon app or pay at the bar using a credit or debit card where possible, although cash will be accepted too
Customers will be encouraged to use the Wetherspoon app or pay at the bar using a credit or debit card where possible, although cash will be accepted too

Wetherspoons will also employ two full-time staff per pub to regularly clean surfaces and touch points.

These will include door handles, allergen information screens, card payment machines and hand rails.

And if it's not possible to separate seating areas, Wetherspoons will install screens between tables to maintain social distancing.

All of its pubs will also have screens at the till point by the bars.

 

Wetherspoons said it'll open its 875 pubs across the UK and Republic of Ireland when it has the official go-ahead from the relevant governments.

Reopening non-essential shops

BEFORE non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen they must ensure that:

  • Individuals are able to keep their distance from people outside of their households
  • They've reduced the risk of transmission by limiting the number of people that individuals come into contact with
  • Shift patterns are changed to reduce the number of people in the office at one time
  • Workspaces are ventilated

Venues that are naturally crowded and where it would be hard to practise social distancing will have to remain closed until it's safe enough to reopen them.

Reopening of these types of "high-risk businesses" may be phased in, beginning with pilots to test whether it's possible for them to operate even partially.

More specific details of what rules shops will need to follow will be released closer to the time, and only if phase one and two are successful.

Almost 700 of its pubs have either a beer garden, roof garden/terrace or an outside patio area.

Once the pubs get the green light to reopen, they will operate their usual opening hours which typically is 8am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 8am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Wetherspoons said it has consulted with employees, suppliers and contractors about the plans, as well as referred to UK Hospitality guidelines.

As Wetherspoon is the biggest pub chain in the UK, it is thought others could follow its ideas.

Its chief executive John Hutson said: “At present the government have not confirmed any reopening date for pubs.

“However, it is important that we are prepared for any announcement.

“We have spent a number of weeks consulting with staff who work in our pubs, as well as area managers in order to draw up our plans.

“We have received more than 2,500 suggestions from our staff.

“The safety of our staff and customers is paramount.”

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