Pubs 'will go bust' if we face another lockdown
A pub landlord will open his beer garden in April – but warned his venue and others will go bust if the nation faces another lockdown.
James Hopkins, who runs The Brooklands in Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, is getting ready to welcome back regulars at the earliest opportunity, despite the fact the pub will probably lose money while it can only trade outdoors.
Under the government’s current roadmap, pubs can open outdoors from mid-April, and if all goes to plan, people will be allowed indoors in mid-May.
James is currently in the process of trying to set up his outdoor bar, and despite the financial pressures, is looking forward to welcoming people back.
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He said: “Our intention is to open anyway because we’re a community pub. The whole of Meole Estate and Meole Village wants us to open so that’s what we’re going to do.
“If we run table service outside we’ll need at least three people on. If we’ve only got four people in the beer garden drinking, it’s not going to pay for those staff.”
