With the government’s five-phase plan to ease the lockdown, restaurants in Lebanon are expected to progressively reoperate as of May 4. 

Out of 9,500 restaurant outlets in the market, 10 percent will resume their operations next week with just 30 percent of their capacity. 50 percent of restaurants will be operational as of May 25, while shisha places, clubs, and pubs will only kick off their activities as of June 8.

Strict hygiene and sanitization measures will be applied. These include temperature checks for each customer, disinfectant hand gel containers on tables, disposable cutlery, distanced table placements, as well as digital or single-use menus, to name a few.

In line with this plan, the president of Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Nightclubs & Pastries in Lebanon, Tony Ramy, addressed the Minister of Tourism today, thanking him for submitting their plan to the Council of Ministers. This suggested work plan includes proposals for circulars, decrees and important tax exemptions. If approved, it will help the sector to sustain with the minimum to overcome the challenging COVID-19 phase. 

Ramy said: “We are awaiting for the Government’s decision this week which represents our last hope.” He explained that they understand that the repercussions of the health crisis and its consequences are even more dangerous than the crisis itself, especially that we live in a time when the relationships between the owners, the suppliers, landlords, and the employees are very complex.  “In these difficult times, with the current economic inflation and the dollar exchange rate jump as well as the soaring prices, we have to be socially united, economically united, physically connected and practically cooperative in order to sustain the work of enterprises and preserve the rights of employers and employees alike,” Ramy stressed.