A new upsurge in covid-19 diseases in Moscow is again "hitting" the restaurant business. The restaurateurs, who had barely survived last year's lockdown, are once again forced to work under restrictive conditions. More than 180 capital establishments are already participating in the experiment on "covideless zones", but since Monday the staff of all capital cafes, bars and restaurants will have to let in only visitors with QR-codes, confirming the vaccination, and also those who have had coronavirus or presented a negative PCR-test from the city laboratory.

"Covid" restrictions for restaurants and cafes are supposed to affect summer porches as well. However, on Thursday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin delayed the ban until July 12.

The Made in Russia editorial board found out from representatives of famous establishments how they are preparing for such work, what they expect and what they hope for.

HOPE FOR DELIVERY

There are 14 Burger Heroes restaurants open across Moscow, and only four of them have a summer veranda, which will not stop the outflow of customers amid the current news and restrictions, Burger Heroes restaurant chain co-owner Olga Korneeva told Made in Russia.

"We will rely on delivery and on people taking food to go so that we have at least some revenue for salaries. After coming out of quarantine, our industry has been suffering from a huge shortage of employees all year, because we have proven ourselves as employers very poorly. Everyone has left the industry because they are afraid, plus - it's no secret that there were a lot of migrants working who are now gone as well. Therefore, we are suffering from a shortage of employees, and now it is only going to get worse. If we do not pay (salaries - ed.) now, we will never recover," Korneeva said.

At the conference "Covid is advancing. Will Russian business endure?" Korneeva doubted that most potential guests would simply go and do a PCR test to go to a restaurant. At the same time, as the entrepreneur noted, among the vaccinated 2.5 million Muscovites, the bulk are elderly people who are not the target audience of restaurants. "According to my forecasts, attendance in the first weeks of the new measures will decrease by 90-95%. In essence, for us, this ordinance is tantamount to closure," she stressed.

"What is the first thing businesses will stop doing now? First and foremost will stop paying rent. Accordingly, landlords will either continue to insist on contracts, or, if they are given a discount on property taxes, they can give a discount on rent to the tenant. That's something the government can do, but won't do. Abolition of VAT is great, of course, but it will be from 2022, and secondly, it is great for medium and large restaurant businesses, while small businesses are not subject to VAT anyway...This measure is primarily designed, as we understand it, to bring some restaurants that are in the "shadow side" to the "bright side". That's good, but it's only from 2022, and right now we still need to get through the current time," Korneeva told the project.

"WE DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE MORAL RIGHT TO PRESSURE PEOPLE."

The Balchug Gastromarket also expects a significant outflow of guests.

"The Balchug Gastromarket team is sympathetic to all measures designed to improve the epidemiological situation. However, we cannot help but notice that it is the public catering industry that is under unprecedented pressure right now. No other field is so much affected. Therefore, of course, we expect a significant reduction in the flow of guests. Even if you look at the statistics of the capital's inhabitants at the moment, it becomes clear that our residents will lose in revenue," representatives of the gastrobar told "Made in Russia".

Today, the rent for Balchug residents has already been reduced at times compared to the "pre-coronavirus" times, project interlocutors say, so there are no plans to reduce it further.

"Of course, we are committed to comply with all recommendations and instructions: to check the QR-codes of the guests, to convince employees to be vaccinated, to monitor seating in the halls. However, it is not quite clear why it is the employer's function to implement vaccination of employees. We do not think we have any moral right to pressurize people on this issue, suspend them from work and fire them if they refuse to vaccinate," representatives of the gastromarket think.

The restaurant business already operates in uncomfortable conditions, for example, it is forced to close the bar area at 23.00, they stressed.

"At the same time we are not provided with any support measures. Moreover, in the previous lockdown, we received an official reply that we are not an affected business," stressed in "Balchug".

THERE ARE NOT MANY VACCINATED PEOPLE IN MOSCOW.

The press service of the Shokoladnitsa chain of coffee shops told the Made in Russia project that they are following the events.

"As far as we have had time to study the issue, by June 28, we are obliged to prepare a certain package of documents and have it in printed form at each site, register in the system as a restaurant and within this system through tablets and smartphones to scan a special code from visitors and compare that the name of the guest and the name attached to this code, coincide," - said in the coffee shop.

At the same time, it is difficult to make any predictions in "Shokoladnitsa.

"We live in a new reality, which is formed before our eyes. After June 28th we will be able to talk about numbers. For now it's a finger in the sky. But we understand that there are not many vaccinated people in Moscow," they summed up there.

Earlier Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin has signed an edict, according to which since June 28, only visitors having protection against the disease will be able to visit public catering establishments: those vaccinated, having had COVID-19 for the last 6 months, or having a negative PCR-test, valid for 3 days and given by the Moscow laboratory. The requirement should also apply to summerhouses, but authorities delayed the deadline for restrictions from June 28 to July 12.

Made in Russia // Made in Russia

Authors: Ksenia Gustova, Karina Kamalova