Coronavirus: Restaurants record low patronage despite eased restrictions on operations

Despite the country easing the restrictions on public gatherings amidst the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, some food vendors in Accra are still recording low patronage.

Government under the Tourism Ministry recently issued new directives that guided the operations for selling food.

With the new move, restaurants and eateries could not operate fully as sit in services were not allowed.

But the easing of the restrictions now permits restaurants to host clients albeit under social distancing rules.

East Legon, one of Accra’s lively locations, plays host to various commercial activities.

Aside from the booming trading activities and white-collar jobs in the area, there is a variety of food services including eateries, fast food joints, restaurants, and chop bars.

On normal days, business is good for many of the vendors, with some of them even offering a 24-hour service.

But for now, their operations have seen a rollercoaster ride with COVID-19, hurting their revenue margins.

Although, the restrictions on their operations have been relaxed operators say business is yet to fully pick up.

“Due to the pandemic things have not been as they used to be. People are not spending as much as they used to. It has forced me to sent about ninety percent of my staff home. We have put in all the safety protocols. No mask, no entry,” Luckie Lawson, CEO of Mangos Restaurant in East Legon lamented.

Owner of Chopshop, Serwaa Gyamfi Duku, also explained that “this era has been an eye-opener. We are also focusing on making foods that are delivery friendly. I am yet to meet a fellow industry person who will say he or she is making a lot of sales. Sales have gone down significantly”.

David Kojo Amo is the general manager of Perfect Touch restaurant at Dzorwulu, he says business is picking up slowly even though he has lost a great deal of revenue to COVID-19.

“Now the business is picking up gradually although hundreds used to throng my eatery, it’s been reduced drastically to about a few walk-ins in a day.”

Coronavirus may be having a devastating effect on the operations of restaurants, however, operators say they are bent on testing the new guidelines for operations to sustain their businesses.

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