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Eat Out to Help Out.

(286 Posts)
merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 13:45:09

Not sure how successful it's going to be for our age group.

I believe the discount scheme is only available during the month of August, Monday to Wednesday.

A lot of restaurants in our area (East Cambridgeshire) are closed. When they are up and running it will be the school holidays so I'm not sure I will feel safe eating in a restaurant with a lot of children. That's if we can get a booking in the first place.

Quite a few restaurants around here don't even open on a Monday.

How do we know the cut in VAT will be passed on to the customer?

hmm

GrannyGravy13 Wed 08-Jul-20 13:58:31

Wednesday night has always been our date night so I shall be interested to see if any of our preferred restaurants are included in this scheme.

Merlotgran we have eaten out twice since restaurants have been allowed to open and have been very impressed with our he distance between tables and hygiene practices.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 08-Jul-20 13:59:00

* our he? should read the

merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 14:22:09

I wonder how many pubs will be shut again by August?

Maybe that's why they're not starting the scheme immediately?

JenniferEccles Wed 08-Jul-20 14:23:56

So have we GG13 and our experience was the same as yours.

I do hope too many people won’t feel too scared to support local pubs restaurants and cafes as they desperately need our custom.

We have also eaten out twice, Sunday and yesterday. Both of them were lunchtime and the organisation was excellent.

The tables were well spaced, our food was wheeled in on a trolley and left for us to take. Hand sanitisers of course. They couldn’t have done any more.

I felt completely safe but it was sad that neither place was busy.
We spoke to the owners both times and they are desperately hoping that customers come back

The one we went to yesterday, a favourite restaurant, said that they were coping financially, just, but that if there is another lockdown they wouldn’t survive.

It’s so sad so we really have to support these places or they will be gone for good.

NotTooOld Wed 08-Jul-20 14:27:48

I would love to support them but I don't feel safe yet. 50% off my meal won't make me feel any safer either.

merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 14:30:20

I will feel safer in familiar places where we've eaten before so I hope they sign up to the scheme.

Shame it won't apply to Sunday Lunches though.

merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 14:32:39

Posted too soon.

I meant to add that obviously the idea is to get people through the doors on quiet days.

Rosalyn69 Wed 08-Jul-20 14:53:00

I think I’d be prepared to give it a go.

EllanVannin Wed 08-Jul-20 14:57:48

Not for me thankyou.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 08-Jul-20 15:00:50

I wouldn’t hold your breath rosalyn I thought the same then went on the bbc nes app.

So they said up 50% off of your restaurant bill. Whoppee!
I thought. It then went on to say that this means that you could get up to £10 off.

Can’t remember the last time our restaurant bill was £20!!

25Avalon Wed 08-Jul-20 15:02:54

Quite so wwmk2 I thought the same.

annsixty Wed 08-Jul-20 15:09:24

What a let down that was.

growstuff Wed 08-Jul-20 15:45:43

My daughter, who's an avid voucher collector, seems to get more than £10 off every time she takes me out for a meal.

25Avalon Wed 08-Jul-20 15:51:17

Also from what I heard it only applies to restaurants that apply to join the scheme so may not be able to use it at your favourite eating hole anyway. Probably be your nearest Wetherspoons, if he isn’t still on the naughty list, Or MacDonalds. Wonderful!!

Maggiemaybe Wed 08-Jul-20 16:00:49

Well I for one won’t be turning up my nose at 50% off, or at trying new restaurants if our usuals aren’t signed up. We’re looking forward to eating out again.

I don’t really see what the moans are about (before the scheme’s even started!). Were you expecting it for free?

Whitewavemark2 Wed 08-Jul-20 16:04:31

maggie no not free and neither were the headlines promising that, but we might have guessed that the headlines by the Tories are never true or live up to their promise.

JenniferEccles Wed 08-Jul-20 16:23:10

Here we go again.
The government realises the difficulties facing these places, hence the introduction of the discount scheme.

Why can’t the complainers be pleased and see it for what it is - a way to tempt customers back by offering a bit of a discount?

I think it’s an excellent idea and I hope it proves popular.

Honestly, there is no pleasing some people is there?

EllanVannin Wed 08-Jul-20 16:24:38

It depends what your expectations are Whitewavemark2. The government don't have to this.

EllanVannin Wed 08-Jul-20 16:27:21

My own refusal is that I don't eat out so I'm hoping that the vouchers are transferable to give to my D for her and the children.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 08-Jul-20 16:38:30

EllanVannin

It depends what your expectations are Whitewavemark2. The government don't have to this.

My expectations rather naively were that the actuality would live up to the headlines. Nothing more or less.

If they had said in the headlines. £10 voucher for eating out then that would have been fine.

But they have previous form don’t they? Remember the headlines £350 million?

Jane10 Wed 08-Jul-20 17:36:00

Sounds good to me. I know my DS's restaurant will be very keen to get customers back in. They are planning hard and will do their utmost to maintain hygiene. DS actually caught Covid 19 in March before lockdown.
Not convinced that Scotland will pass on this benefit though. angry

merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 17:43:32

Will there be a guarantee that anyone eating at the beginning of the week when pubs/restaurants are generally quieter be offered the normal menu and not a 'special' which has been put together to use up stocks from the previous weekend?

I live in a rural area where not many places are open on a Monday unless you travel into town and eat at one of the chains.

How will we know if the reduction in VAT has been passed on to the customer?

Beverages are not normally part of a meal deal so will the prices of drinks be hiked up?

Just concerns, JenniferEccles, not complaints.

25Avalon Wed 08-Jul-20 17:49:00

I’m not complaining as I probably won’t eat out in August anyway with DH still isolating and perforce me too. I have been buying some lovely frozen ready cook meals from Cook. Their prawn linguine is lovely and like their chicken and mushroom lasagne and venison lasagne doesn’t need anything else except a bottle of vino! Their coq au vin is pretty good too but you will need veg to go with it. They have very good reports and it’s about £8 for 2 portions. They also do single portions. It’s free delivery over £30 and I have 4 lovely meals on their way this a Friday. Don’t need to eat out. Anyone want my vouchers?

eazybee Wed 08-Jul-20 17:49:16

Done my bit.
Had a coffee and a croissant in the garden of the local cafe; delicious.
cafe