One of Aberdeen’s largest hospitality groups has announced it is closing two of its venues during the government’s 16-day “circuit breaker” due to the “impossible” trading conditions.
McGinty’s has closed The Stag and McGinty’s Meal an’ Ale, but hope to have them open again “as soon as the government guidance allows us to”.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday announced pubs, cafes and restaurants across Scotland would now only be able to open indoors between 6am and 6pm.
Drinking outdoors will still be allowed until the current curfew time of 10pm.
A number of businesses in Aberdeen have already announced they will not reopen premises under the new restrictions, with McGinty’s just the latest.
Siberia, on Belmont Street, announced last night that it would be closing for the foreseeable future, saying staying open was “not a viable prospect”.
The Spiritualist also confirmed it would shutting with immediate effect – after spending £250,000 on keeping their premises safe from Covid-19.
In their statement, McGinty’s echoed similar sentiments to the other shuttered hospitality businesses, saying the closure came despite significant measures in place to ensure the safety of their staff and customers.
They said: “Customer and staff safety has always been our priority in these challenging times and we have gone above and beyond to create a safe environment with social distancing measures, increased cleaning & in-house Covid-19 policies.
“Unfortunately the latest government restrictions make it impossible for us to continue trading for now.”