Restaurant and cafe entrepreneurs are eagerly awaiting fall: offering to wear masks starting in October

Visitors return without foreign tourists

After quarantine, visitors return to Kaunas’ cafes, bars, and restaurants. Unfortunately, their numbers are far from the same as last year. A significant loss for the catering sector is a very significant decrease in the flow of tourists from foreign countries.

Gediminas Balnis, director of the country’s largest restaurant group Amber Food, says signs of recovery are being felt and more and more visitors are being welcomed.

“To date, we have already reached 60-70 percent of the previous billing. And so far, the ‘tourist’ places are the least recovered,” G. Balnis told the Delfi portal.

He mentioned that three quarters of the workers were detained during the quarantine. And the dismissal of a significant part of the employees coincided with the end of the season of events in Lithuanian arenas, where the chain’s restaurants operate.

“There are many Ukrainian citizens, we have also preserved them, not only Lithuanians,” said G. Balnis.

The biggest concern is mass events, which offer to return the obligation to wear masks.

Speaking about preparations for the second expected wave of the coronavirus pandemic, G. Balnis, the head of the nation’s largest Amber Food restaurant chain, mentioned that all of the chain’s restaurants are still equipped and preparing to keep their distance. safe in the future.

“We will see how things unfold. I hope that the restaurants do not close entirely. The Latvian example has shown that caution is needed, but the closure does not change the substance. Because there was no significant difference between Lithuania and Latvia, where requirements were met security specials, but the restaurants were not completely closed, “G. Balnis told the Delfi portal.

The businessman mentioned that he is more concerned with massive events, during which the conditions for the spread of the virus are extremely favorable.

Amber Food chain restaurants operate in the Kaunas, Jonava, Klaipėda and Palanga sands, therefore, according to G. Balnis, the biggest concern is the events that are likely to start there this fall.

“We hope it’s not as bad as it used to be, especially since we’ve learned, we all know how to behave,” said G. Balnis.

There is likely to be much public concern in November-December, when people “traditionally” get the flu, various respiratory diseases, and the symptoms of these conditions are analogous to COVID-19.

“Perhaps the requirement to wear masks indoors again from October should be reinstated to prevent the virus from spreading. This would also help reduce the spread of the flu,” said G. Balnis.

Banquets are also organized little by little

Halina Tautkuvienė, director of the company of the same name, which manages the restaurant “Floros simfonija” located on Jonavos Street, Kaunas, also mentioned that the greatest crisis seemed to have happened.

“The situation is gradually improving, it is improving, the clients are gradually appearing. In May we worked with a total loss, part of the team had to be put into inactivity. In June, the situation improved and in July we already have another banquet,” he said. the businesswoman.

Its restaurant, unlike other restaurants, is more “occasional”, focused on festive celebrations. As a result, there is almost no occasional visitor, passing, and snack traffic.

Before the quarantine announcement, this restaurant had multiple pre-orders. According to H. Tautkuvienė, everything had to be canceled and the advances paid had to be returned.

Another company led by H. Tautkuvienė operates the Flora Symphony restaurant in Palanga. Although there are really many visitors here, according to the businesswoman, this flow is not constant, most people only arrive on weekends.

“And the hired employees must be maintained throughout the period. Until now, we have not felt the holidays that have begun. The weather affects it too, if the sun shines in Palanga, there are people, if not, there are no people.

There was a “virtual bar”: loyal visitors communicated remotely while drinking beer

Entrepreneur Ąžuolas Gaižutis, who runs the Skliautas bar, and his wife, who started operating in Kaunas Old Town in 1993, were pleased that after the quarantine, when the activity had to be completely discontinued, the visitors were returning.

“Forced unemployment was a reality, we had to wait for this period. As soon as the conditions allowed for working outdoors relaxed, we opened the first day,” said A. Gaižutis.

The businessman recalled that during quarantine, when all employees were on downtime, there was a virtual bar.

“With 6-7 regular visitors, we agreed to join the group at 7pm, open a bottle of beer and communicate. This is how the virtual bar worked, the people who were constantly meeting here found a way to do it remotely.” said A. Gaižutis.

According to the businessman, looking to the future, all the jobs were saved, and after the suspension of activities, it was extremely successful to reach an agreement with the owners of the facilities on the terms of the lease.

“Now the movement is really there, although the flow of visitors is felt, it is influenced by the weather. I think we will return to normal in two or three months. Of course, if we have the second wave, it would be sad,” said Skliautas, who runs the bar with his wife. Gaižutis.

The inn also did not stop during quarantine

On the outskirts of Kaunas, on the road leading to the fall of Šakiai, the popular pub “Ringaudų šašlykinė”, which has been running for many years, did not stop even after the announcement of the universal quarantine. The workers were not fired or dispatched at downtime.

“It just came to our attention then. We continued to work, preparing takeaways. The only difference is that the dishes did not have to be brought to the tables. It is true that there was less work, but we really cannot cry,” said Irmunda Kučinskienė, who She has been running this business together with her husband Valdas Kučinskas for 26 years.

The businesswoman recalled that as soon as the requirements were liberalized, a wave of visitors was immediately felt. There is no shortage of them and now, Lithuanians have little place to go on vacation, they rest in Lithuania. With the return of the visitors, I. Kučinskienė said he did not know if he would spend much time enjoying the recovering family business.

“We will see how everything will be in the fall. After all, not knowing what the requirements will be can prevent food from being cooked and taken away. We will see how we will be here, how we will live in some way,” thought the businesswoman.

I. Kučinskienė admitted that even if he had to suspend his activities for a time, the family business would easily survive, because the inn operates on its own premises.

“We have no loans or rented premises, but all taxes remain,” said I. Kučinskienė.