A GLASGOW restaurateur has flagged his belief the sector is being “brushed aside” amid the coronavirus pandemic, expressing astonishment businesses such as his can only trade until 6pm in the crucial festive period, while “mega stores” are open.

Marco Giannasi, who founded the landmark Battlefield Rest on Glasgow’s south side in 1994, told The Herald yesterday that restaurateurs do not understand why they are facing such tough restrictions. And he said that being allowed to stay open until 8pm, even with a ban on serving alcohol, would have been a “lifeline”.

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Mr Giannasi, who declared he did not know whether or not the situation might be reviewed next Tuesday, emphasised his view that an extension of opening hours until 8pm would make sense. He said: “It is not a big deal – still people don’t drink…It gives a little bit more space to the kitchen and time for the customers.”

He expects turnover in the next two weeks to be down about 60% on the same period of last year. He described this loss of turnover as “extraordinary”.

Commenting on the latest restrictions announced by the Scottish Government this week, he said: “Common sense doesn’t work. There is not anyone who really seems to listen to what the trade is saying. We are completely brushed aside. I can’t absorb how this is happening.”

Mr Giannasi emphasised he was speaking out “for the overall, for the restaurants”.

He added: “The restaurants are a very controlled environment. They keep asking, ‘Why us. What are we doing wrong?’.”

Underlining support from customers, he added: “The customers are saying the same thing. I get really wound up and angry about it.”

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Mr Giannasi noted the Scottish Government had announced further support for the hospitality sector but highlighted the challenge presented by not knowing when this funding would come through or how much it would be.

He said: “I cannot swim halfway through the ocean and think I am going to get a lifeline sometime but when, where and how much?

“We are penguins in the zoo. We wait for the fish to be thrown. It is just unbelievable.”

He reiterated his opposition to grant support being based on rateable value, which he believes is irrelevant in this context. Mr Giannasi said grant support should be based on loss of earnings.

Describing the situation as “very challenging”, he noted he had started selling food and drink hampers to produce another revenue stream.

Mr Giannasi has been offering a takeaway service on Fridays and Saturdays during the tier-four lockdown which began on November 20.

He plans to open seven days a week for sit-in diners from this Saturday, up until New Year’s Eve if permitted. The Battlefield Rest, which employs 16 people and is using the UK Government coronavirus job retention scheme to retain staff, intends to offer a takeaway service seven days a week during this period.

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In an interview with The Herald earlier this week, Mr Giannasi made the case for restaurants such as his to be able to serve alcohol at least during “restricted hours” in the festive season, for example to allow people to have a glass of wine with lunch, within the tier-system regulations.

Glasgow is moving from tier-four lockdown to tier-three restrictions which are unchanged from those which had been in force until November 20 for restaurants, as part of the latest measures announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for local authority areas this week. Most of the central belt will be in tier three from Friday. Responding, Mr Giannasi had tweeted on Tuesday night: “I am absolutely speechless to hear today the announcement of us in the Restaurant trade not able to have a licence and having to close at 6pm. We are losing the plot here while mega stores and the rest of business capitalise the moment.”

Mr Giannasi, who owns and runs the Battlefield Rest with his wife Yellena, said yesterday he was upset restaurants such as his were not able to open until Saturday, given the timing of the end of tier-four restrictions for them on Friday, while non-essential shops could open from Friday morning. He added: “Why are we not allowed to open on Friday? It doesn’t make any sense.”

The restaurateur, who expects a further lockdown in January and a return to a Friday and Saturday takeaway service then, had said on Monday that this week’s decision on restrictions would be the “most influential” for hospitality since the pandemic began. He flagged the importance even in normal times to restaurants of making profits in December to make up for the generally quiet period early in the new year.