An estimated 285 pubs have closed permanently in Scotland since the start of the pandemic, according to the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA).
It comes as the trade body said more than 200 pubs in the country could reopen for the first time on 9 August, if restrictions are lifted, enabling them to trade viably again and the Scottish government is expected to confirm a removal of restrictions from 9 August this week.
Key for the nation’s pubs is the removal of table-only service and an end to the midnight curfew, which the SBPA said must be removed if Scottish pubs are to trade viably once more. According to the industry, if these restrictions on pubs are removed, they can work with the Scottish government on other baseline measures so long as they are workable and maintain business viability.
SBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said, “It is vital for our hospitality industry and pubs that key restrictions are removed. Scotland is estimated to have lost 285 pubs since the start of the pandemic, but a further 200-plus pubs could reopen on 9 August if enough restrictions are removed.
“We have been pushing the government strongly on this, particularly the need to end the curfew on trading hours, which has meant late-night premises are unable to open, and the end of table-only service – which has been devastating to many of our smaller establishments. If heavy restrictions remain in place beyond the baseline that make pubs unviable then pubs could be at risk of closing for good.
“It is crucial the Scottish government gets this right and aligns us as closely as possible to the other nations of the UK to ensure our recovery is not outpaced and we lose out on investment. If that support falls short though, we’ll see more business failures on top of the 285 pubs already lost.”
