Restaurant owners lose hope as end of restrictions remains uncertain
Restaurant owners have expressed their dismay over the current pandemic situation in the SAR, as they are required to close their dine-in services to deter the spread of Covid-19.
As of yesterday, the city has recorded a total of 414 cases, leading to mass testing and daily rapid antigen test (RAT) requirements for employees in certain sectors.
For the restaurant owners interviewed by the Times, the situation in the food and beverage (F&B) sector is worsening.
Late last week, the government announced that all restaurants are prohibited from providing dine-in services, and ordered the shutdown of all entertainment venues. The order came as the city recorded 110 cases on Thursday.
According to a restaurant owner in the northern district who refused to be identified, “the business of those restaurants has deteriorated. This ongoing pandemic has a big impact on restaurants. The majority of restaurants here in Macau face this problem and the consequences of this outbreak.”
Another owner, whose restaurant is located in close proximity to areas that have been locked down, said, “There are not many guests currently. Some of the ingredients in the storehouse become rapidly inedible, because those ingredients cannot be stored for a long time.”
He further stated that, despite encouraging people to order food online and providing discounts, revenue is not as high, as the restaurants that are most severely impacted by the restrictions tend to be Chinese restaurants with regular customers.
Last week, a local catering association said that most restaurants have complied with the government’s call to discourage patrons from dining in even without the government making an order to that effect.
Aeson Lei, president of the Macau Catering Industry Association, previously stated that residents have mainly been using online food platforms, which have had little impact on business for restaurants that only provide a takeaway service.
Food delivery company Mfood reported a surge last week of up to 20% in the number of delivery orders made since Sunday. A further increase is expected in light of the new decree.
However, not only has restaurant revenue been affected, but their staff as well, with employees being forced to take unpaid leave.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, [the amount of leave we have taken] has increased, but our salary has decreased,” the employee said.
Another issue faced by the sector is that they do not know when the partial lockdown will end, making it more difficult to maintain their restaurants, as income may not cover one month of rent.
The latest data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that receipts for the interviewed restaurants and similar establishments have already dropped by 15.5% year-on-year in April, with Western Restaurants and Chinese Restaurants recording falls of 24.0% and 23.9%, respectively. Staff Reporter
