Due to coronavirus in the European Union, a restaurant business has been paralyzed for almost a year. In Belarus, gastronomy in some way continues to function, albeit with certain restrictions. But in neighboring Poland, owners of bars and restaurants account for hopeless. Not only that the pandemic blocked the crane with the flow of tourists, so also local residents can not be fully serviced: only the inquiry and in the delivery format are allowed to work. An Onliner correspondent went to Krakow to chat with the owner of the restaurant of Russian cuisine "Cherry Garden" Galina. She opened the institution in 1998, and today does not know what will happen to her business in a year.
Wiśniowy Sad.
Restaurant "Cherry Garden", and if it is accurate, Wiśniowy Sad is located in the heart of Krakow - on the pedestrian street of Grodzka. Here and today there are rare tourists back and forth, but in the "docking" times on Grodsky was not to push around. The institution hid in one of the numerous arches. Nearby is the optics store - he did not change the work schedule due to coronavirus. In Poland, the pandemic also affected supermarkets, cosmetic shops and sales of construction equipment and furniture. But the caretaker got the most.
At the entrance to the restaurant, people meet the announcement: the "Siberian" dumplings appeared in the "Cherry Garden" menu at a price of 22 zł (15 rubles) for 20 pieces. However, there are no queues from dumplings. Ten tables have already been empty for many weeks, and those rare visitors who decide to order food, waiting for the dish on the couch. Once upon a time there was playing live music, and now piano with a closed lid misses in the corner.
Year without full work
"We stopped working full on almost a year ago: Bars, restaurants and cafes in Poland closed March 15 2020. Then we were told that this is a temporary measure for two weeks. But since then, the doors of my restaurant were open to visitors only from June to October last year. And then we were allowed to fill in the hall only half, each second table was supposed to be empty. Plus, the control of sanitary standards has tightened. For example, each visitor had to disinfive his hands before entering our room, "recalls the past Summer Galina.
In a conversation, the interlocutor prefers not to speak not about the constraints that were imposed on the restaurant business, but about the "closure" of the industry. Without contact with clients such a institution, like a "cherry garden", is very difficult. Still, it was not sold first here, but the atmosphere. Many restaurants like this type in Poland are closed now. Galina with his team continues to work the honeycomb and in the delivery format. But it's impossible to earn it.
- Do not earn money on food delivery. I somehow looked at the PYSZNE website (Polish food delivery aggregator. - Note. Onliner), and there we are about the 400th place in the list. In other words, a person who wants to eat at home and order food online, just won't find us there. It turns out that we are ordered by us mostly those customers who knew us to coronavirus. Do not forget that the aggregators take big money for their intermediary activities. So we are working on delivery not to earn, but in order to maintain a working spirit. In 2020, we had 80 percent losses, no about which earnings of speech is not yet, - tells the restaurant.
Double standarts
From February 1, 2021, Museums, sports complexes, shops with clothing and other institutions were allowed in Poland. But catering points still can not receive visitors. According to Galina, it is nothing but double standards from the state.
- Have you seen what is going on in shopping centers? There's a lot of people. Or take, for example, Food courts. They can be said, did not stop work, as they are focused mainly to work in the honeycomb. The tables on Food Courts, of course, were outset with ribbons, but what do people who buy there food? They crowd in the corners of shopping centers and eat, absolutely not observing the distance. Why no one organized a place where people could be comfortable and safe to eat? And take public transport. In Poland, it is impossible to fill buses and trams by more than 50%. But at rush hour they are a bit. For sure in such a tram is not safer than behind the table in some institution. It seems that the authorities control only the restaurant business, "Galina expresses its position.
Not a single employee dismissed
Galina Mikhailovna says he did not dismiss a single employee. First, the woman does not want to lose the team: Coronavirus will one day, and the flow of visitors will jump again in the "cherry garden", many of which are accustomed to personnel. Secondly, the preservation of jobs is one of the conditions for obtaining a subvention from the state.
- This financial assistance from the state allows us to be afloat. They call it Rozwijać, that is, "on development". Well, this is no development, but only the opportunity not to go into an endless minus. The amount of subvention depends on the number of employees who work in the institution. All this money goes to salaries, taxes and insurance of workers. All I get in the form of a subvention, I immediately give, "says Galina.
State support
Note that in Poland the government really highlights large funds for business support. The subvention includes the minimum wage of employees, taking into account taxes and insurance. The owners of companies can be calculated for such assistance, whose activities were limited due to a pandemic. One of the conditions is the preservation of the state. In fact, the state takes care of the work of employees.
According to the end of January, 7,000 enterprises received financial assistance from the state budget in the amount of 1 billion 164 million zł (this is 314.5 million dollars). Subsidies were issued by 2 thousand restaurants across the country, approximately the same retailers, 540 hotels (in Poland, it is allowed to settle in hotels only by people who came to business trips, hundreds of educational institutions, etc. Support statements continue to come from entrepreneurs. In the Polish Development Fund, a three-day scheme works: on Monday, a statement, on Tuesday, a decision on Wednesday is to receive money.
Salary decreased by 75%
The restaurant now does not bring revenues - respectively, and salaries from employees at a minimum level. Bonuses, tip, extracurricular - all this remained in 2019. According to Galina, wages at staff now make up approximately 1/4 of what was in a good season to a pandemic. It is clear that you need to work less, but who is easier?
The first locker in Poland (in March 2020) influenced the restaurant business not so much in material and moral terms. The owners of the institutions still had a financial "airbag" and the hope that Coronavirus came not for a long time. Yes, and the summer was not far from around the corner, and the main income in the sector is just for the warm season, when a large number of tourists arrive in the country.
- Yes, in June we were opened, albeit with certain restrictions. But you will note that my restaurant is in the tourist center of Krakow, and for more than two decades we have been focused primarily on foreigners who come to Poland. The closed borders and restrictions of movement brought to a minimum number of tourists in the country last summer, so for those few months that we could not work, "to gain a fat", "the founder of the" Cherry Garden "reports.
According to Galina, a large number of institutions in Poland were simply closed - they did not suspend work for the time of Lokdaun, but the business turned out forever. In a particularly difficult situation, owners of new restaurants, who opened the institutions, gaining loans and debts. They did not have time to accumulate the very "airbag" to at least somehow survive a difficult year. Those who decided to preserve business are divided into two categories: retrained to the delivery of food and closed the doors of the institution until the end of Lokdaun. The second, as a rule, dismissed employees and refused to help the state.
- You know, many decided not to deal with delivery. In my own experience, I will say that the economic meaning in this decision is. The restaurant, which has built a business model for many years on incoming visitors, most likely will be unprofitable after the forced transition to delivery. We sold not only delicious food, we sold a special atmosphere. Could I temporarily close the restaurant and dismiss people? Could. But this is my team. In the end, these are living people. Where do they go at such a time? - Specifies the rhetorical question of Galina. She is subordinate eight employees. In the state "Cherry Garden" Poles, Belarusians and Ukrainians. Galina herself from Russia.
About trying to hire couriers instead of working with aggregators
On the one hand, Coronavirus learned Poles to go to the establishment of food. On the other hand, tens of thousands of people are now working out of the house, and they still need something. It is logical to assume that the population will have an increased demand for lunches with home delivery. It is possible, but there is, but such a question must be asked not to the owners of restaurants, and Uber EATS aggregators. According to Galina, in this regard, not everything is so unequivocal.
"I know one company that also worked to Coronavirus exclusively for the delivery of lunches. It would seem, now they must flourish. But they have been established a scheme when one courier brings a large number of orders to the business center. Now the offices are half empty, and food needs to be taken around the houses. And here the built business model collapses. This company has now stopped work. I also tried to hire my delivery team in the midst of coronavirus. It turned out to be completely unprofitable. It is easier to work with aggregators. And anyway, this business does not suit us. Despite the fact that we are well spinning food, quickly deliver it, put extra dishes to order, we still do not convey that experience that has accumulated two dozen years. The restaurant is impossible to deliver the house, "said Galina.
15-20 dishes per day
Employees of the "Cherry Garden" still go to work for several days a week. They work with smaller composition due to a significantly reduced number of orders. According to Galina, on the day the restaurant sends 15-20 dishes with couriers. In 2019, on Friday and the weekend, the institution was clogged completely, and in the summer, even on weekdays, it was necessary to book a table in advance to get to the "cherry garden." According to Galina's estimates, the courier service receives approximately 40% of the order.
To deliver alcohol to Polish restaurants is prohibited (despite the fact that wine shops, for example, can provide such a service). However, the license for the sale of alcoholic beverages of the owner of the "Cherry Garden" retains: it will be difficult to restore it.
- I constantly extend the license for the sale of alcohol. Last month paid for the first quarter of 2021, although we still do not work. In fact, we have permission to apply alcohol in your institution, and not to give to the courier or honeycomb. Theoretically, if an adult comes and buy a bottle of wine, we will sell it. But people will rather go for alcohol to the store, rather than in a closed restaurant, - Galina shows the shelves behind the bar, where he once stood alcohol.
Recently, a woman went to swim in Gdansk. There, she said, Christmas stalls were opened, where Mulled winery is traditionally sold. Yes, and in general, in the old city in Gdansk the atmosphere "Live" compared to Krakow. In Trimiyst, many vehicle owners put gas burners on the street and offer visitors to join them.
- We also have the opportunity to eat next to our restaurant: if you saw, there is a sofa in the arch. Someone, picking an order, sits right on him and eats. But I can not imagine how people do it: it's cold and inconvenient there - smiling, says Galina.
According to the estimates, taking into account the help from the state, the institution will be able to hold out in such a situation as it is now, another maximum of ten months. What about renting?
The building where Galina rents the room is privately owned. A few months after Lokdanun, the landlord reduced the cost of the monthly boards by 25%. But in recent months, the full cost was required for rent again. Galina cannot affect this situation. This is the city center, and some store will come to the place of the restaurant with joy.
- I follow the restaurant business in Russia and Belarus. And it seems to me that it would be better if Poland did not take such radical measures to combat the "Cowid". After all, it was possible to introduce sanitary regime, leave some restrictions. But to prohibit receiving visitors - this is too strong in the catering sector. If you discard financial issues, I already missed my full work terribly. We had regular customers with whom we now communicate on Facebook. As I kidding, we have "love on the remote". It is very nice. Easternally, all this ended and we were given to work normally! - Says Galina.
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