Starting next Monday, June 8, Madrid’s bars and restaurants will enter phase 2 of the de-escalation. For practical purposes, and in general terms, it means that the interior of the premises will be opened to the public with a capacity of 40%, always complying with the safety distance of two meters. Despite that step forward in de-escalation, only 50% of the establishments will open; that is to say, about 9,500 establishments will be operating out of the 19,100 in the city, according to the forecasts of Madrid Hospitality advanced to OKDIARIO.
The argument used by employers to remain closed is the same one used in phase 1: It is not profitable to open with the capacity limitation. The accounts still do not come out. “We are very excited to resume the activity, but not all of us can do it. Each establishment has to study its specific situation, “says Juan José Blardony, director of Hospitality in Madrid, to this newspaper.
Madrid entrepreneurs predict that the path to the new normal will be produced by neighborhoods. This means that the premises located in the most tourist areas – such as the center of the capital – will take longer to open. Instead, residential areas will become the great driving force behind consumption and hospitality activity.
In addition to the limitation of 40% of the capacity, the order published in the BOE on May 16 establishes that consumption within the premises is only allowed if the client sits at a table, and preferably with prior reservation. The bars cannot be used until phase 3 and you will not be able to serve drinks in them either.
However, you can order food and drinks to take away in the establishment and it is allowed to consume fresh or prepared products in advance. Food must be plated individually or in a single-dose format.
Disposable screens and letters
The establishments that open in phase 2 will have to do without the traditional toothpicks, napkin rings, cruets and oil cans. Commonly used cards are also deleted, which will be replaced by electronic devices, blackboards or disposable cards.
As for other safety and hygiene measures, some establishments have installed separating partitions between the tables. It is a temporary solution, which allows customers to maintain eye contact and protect themselves to avoid contagion.
Waiters and room staff are required to wear masks and it is recommended that they wear hydroalcoholic gloves and gels. In addition, establishments are obliged to clean and disinfect tables and chairs between client and client.
No change on the terraces
Phase 2 does not involve changes in the capacity of the outdoor terraces. They will be open to the public with a 50% capacityAlthough the number of clients per table or group of tables is increased to 15 people, the new maximum allowed by law for social gatherings within this phase. Although the balance of the first days of activity of the terraces has been very positive, the hoteliers remember that only 10% of Madrid establishments have opened. “We are happy, there has been a great change in Madrid in recent days, but the reality is that there was little supply and much demand,” explains Juan José Blardony.
Regarding the use of toilets, the Health order of May 9 allowed clients to use them with a maximum occupancy of one person, except in those cases of people who may require assistance, in which case they will also be allowed to be used by their companion. These toilets must be cleaned and disinfected at least six times a day.
They demand more measures from the Government
Representatives of Hospitality Madrid, Amer and Hospitality of Spain have recently prepared and delivered a manifesto to the Government delegation in Madrid in which they demand measures for the reactivation of the sector.
Entrepreneurs demand clarity and transparency from the government in order to plan the next steps of reopening and request that the safety distance be set as a criterion for determining the capacity of the establishments, something that has been done in other countries of the Old Continent, except Spain and Portugal, where capacity has been established, added to the minimum interpersonal distance.
The hospitality sector also calls for the creation of a negotiating table to define the flexibility of ERTEs, to establish fast-grant microcredits and new lines of financing. Added to this are the suspension of the rents or rents of the premises due to force majeure since the State of Alarm came into force, and an extension in the payment of mortgages.
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