The owner of a Glasgow restaurant has called on the Scottish Government to take action after hosting a protest at the venue over hospitality closures.
Michael Bergson, proprietor of Buck’s Bar on West Regent Street, invited people who have been badly affected by the coronavirus crisis for a complimentary meal as part of the “Eat Out to Reach Out” demonstration.
Around 60 people were welcomed to the eaterie, arriving at separate designated times, in an event which Mr Bergson hopes provided some vital social interaction for those in need and proved to the Scottish Government that venues can open safely.
The owner said: “Everyone loved it and these were people who really needed some social interaction. We had one woman who hadn’t been out since March.
“It has shown us that people are really suffering with the lack of social interaction, and hospitality has a role to play in providing that in a safe environment.
“We really need the Scottish Government to listen now. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a bar, a pub, a restaurant or a cafe- if you can prove that you can operate safely, then you should be allowed to open.”
However, while the event passed off successfully, the restaurant did receive a visit from Police Scotland early in the day.
Mr Bergson said: “The police turned up at the start of the day, and we were a little nervous - even though we were pretty sure we weren’t breaking any law.
“They were just making sure that we didn’t have massive crowds and that we weren’t trading, which we weren’t, and after that they were really good with us, they were quite supportive.”
Buck’s Bar asked its customers to nominate people for the free meal and 30 of the nominees were invited to the restaurant along with a guest from their household or support bubble.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers attended premises on West Regent Street in Glasgow during the afternoon of Monday, 26 October and spoke with the owners.
“No further action has been taken by police.”
The Scottish Government has previously said it is “confident” that the hospitality restrictions “are essential and proportionate to the risk posed by coronavirus”.
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