Sunderland restaurateurs have their say on new Tier 2 grants scheme announced by Government

Sunderland restaurant owners have their say on tier 2 grants

In a bid to support the hospitality industry, which has been brought to its knees by the pandemic, and subsequent restrictions, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new package of support for businesses.

Sunderland is currently in Tier 2 of the Government’s new three tier system, meaning although restaurants, cafes and pubs can remain open, they have still been hit by a wave of restrictions which have affected business, including a 10pm curfew and households being unable to mix in their venues.

In Rishi Sunak’s latest announcement he acknowledged that the Tier 2 restrictions present problems for businesses such as pubs and bars, which have faced plummeting sales.

Asiana Fusion Restaurant - Echo 24, West Wear Street, Sunderland...

As a result, he’s announced a package including grants of £2,100 a month for businesses in Tier 2 areas of England. In a move which could be worth more than £1 billion, these grants will also be available retrospectively for areas which have already been subject to restrictions, and come on top of higher levels of additional business support for areas moving into Tier 3.

Ian Wong, from Asiana in Sunderland city centre, said any support is welcome, but it’s a ‘drop in the ocean’ compared to the losses restaurants are facing.

Like many businesses in the city, he’s had to ramp up the restaurant’s delivery options due to people being unable to dine out unless in their household or support bubble.

He said: “It’s welcoming news especially with the back dating all the way to August. Although it still feels like a drop in the ocean, in the grand scheme of things, £2100 a month certainly helps nonetheless.

Ship Isis has a loyal following who've been supporting it within the tier 2 restrictions

"I’m sure staff members will also feel more at ease with any possible further upcoming restrictions.”

He added: “I believe the local council can still help business that wasn’t eligible for the initial grant, as companies like ourselves that were over the threshold of £51000 rateable value are struggling the most. Higher wage bills and higher rent all adds up really quickly diminishing savings made over the years in business.”

"As the situation progresses planning for Christmas where our turnover usually increases by 30-40%, also feels like an impossible task. We like most businesses are trying to adapt as much as possible in order to fill the void of footfall, offering take away and delivery services including drinks.”

Ben Wall is part of the team behind the successful Mexico 70 restaurant in High Street West, which has just reopened, and Ship Isis in Silksworth Row.

Mexico 70 has just reopened its doors post lockdown - and has received plenty of bookings

He said: “It’s difficult to find a comprehensive statement on what the package means, and whether it’s back dated to when we went into restrictions, or if it’s just when we went into Tier 2. But we’ve been in Tier 2 a while now and they’ve only just decided that we need support.

"The Isis has been doing fine, it’s paying the bills, but the amount of people coming in has started to taper off now. We’ve only just reopened Mexico 70, but it’s been fully booked since, we’ve got a new team of chefs and they’re really talented. We really want to keep hold of our staff, so the support needs to be there for them.”

Monie Hussain is the owner of the award-winning Yuvraaj restaurant in Ashbrooke.

“At the minute any support we can get is welcome," he said. “There are a lot of people in the industry who are desperate. I spoke to a restaurant owner in Durham the other day who is doing a 10th of the business he usually would in a normal week. So nothing is too much in terms of support.

"We had a terrible week last week and I can only see it getting worse. Usually by now we would have our Christmas and New Year menus out and Christmas Day would be fully booked. But we haven’t even got a menu this year, because you can’t plan ahead. If people still can’t dine with their extended family we will have to look at whether opening on Christmas Day is viable for the custom we would get.

"All business owners have a principle on how they want to run their business, but at the minute people have to constantly adapt in line with the restrictions.”

Yuvraaj has always primarily been a sit-in business, with a take away option when the kitchen wasn’t too busy, but Monie is now looking at ways to offer a delivery service to keep the business afloat.

A statement from the leaders of the LA7 local authorities, including Coun Graeme Miller Sunderland City Council, said: "We welcome today's announcements and have lobbied for additional support for businesses, so we are pleased the Chancellor has listened.

“While we await full details, this package recognises the ongoing difficulties businesses are facing and extra financial support was needed regardless of the level of restrictions in place.

“We now need to be given the resources to process cash grants in a timely manner for businesses in High Alert Level (Tier 2) regions that, despite being able to remain open, are under huge financial constraints as the Chancellor himself recognised.

“It remains to be seen what impact the grants, as well as the revised jobs support scheme and contributions to the self-employed, will have and we will continue to do our upmost to make sure residents and businesses in all sectors get the support they need.

“It is our hope that today’s announcement offers some comfort to businesses and workers who have persevered remarkably during the pandemic, and we once again thank everyone for continuing to comply with the regulations and guidance.”

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'A drop in the ocean, but welcome nonetheless' - restaurateurs have their say on new Tier 2 grants scheme