Oxford restaurants reopening for customers inside

While some restaurants have had a ‘monopoly’ over the customers – luring them in with outside seating in gardens or tables put onto the street by the council – other businesses have only been able to offer delivery, and even that’s been impossible competing with huge chains like Nando’s and Five Guys.

Independent restaurants in the city yesterday spoke of their struggles over the pandemic, their hope for the future and their worries about the uncertainty of what is coming.

Oxford reopening. Pics: Fran Way

Local lad Sami Mahfouz, the owner of George Street’s independent burger joint Glut, said the road was turning into a ‘ghost town’ with once popular eateries like Pizza Hut closing down.

He said since officially opening in 2018, he has probably only been open for a year. But, he added: “I am fortunate to be in a position to be able to carry on and I’m optimistic about the future.”

Urging the people of Oxford to support local businesses as lockdown restrictions ease, he said independent chains are run by people who are ‘passionate’ and ‘really care about the customers’ and what they think.

Top: Peter Kocemba the manager of the George Street Social. Bottom right: Sami Mahfouz from Glut.

Peter Kocemba, the general manager of the George Street Social, said: “For the last 15 months we have been open for just seven weeks. It’s been traumatic.

“It’s going well [now that we’ve reopened for inside seating] and [by 1pm] we’ve had 65 customers through the door.”

He said the high street was busy but that sales had plummeted in the first, second and third lockdown – similar to when the Westgate Centre opened in 2018 and businesses were fighting to compete with the social and the rooftop restaurants.

Part of George Street between its junctions with New Inn Hall Street and Magdalen Street was closed for half of August last year – during the Government’s Eat out To Help Out scheme, which saw diners get discounts off their meals to eat out – and the first week of September.

The closure, instigated by Oxford City Council and highways authority Oxfordshire County Council, allowed restaurants on that stretch of the road to have dining tables outside.

The city council said it was hoping to close the road to traffic again but in April other streets were turned into beer gardens.

Oxford reopening. Pics: Fran Way

Cornmarket Street had tables put outside as well as St Michael’s Street when restrictions lifted on April 12 so that customers could sit outside.

On the corner of both streets is The Plough, run by manager Steve Jones who said: “Hurrah!” as customers were welcomed back indoors yesterday.

The Plough in Cornmarket

He said: “We’ve got the seating for 12 months so customers can sit there until 10pm.

“We’ve got a monopoly on customers – it’s been such a busy few weeks.

“Now people can sit inside at last people are coming in just because they can and regulars are coming back too.”

Visit glut-food.co.uk, Georgestreetsocial.com and Ploughat38.com to book.