Eat Out to Help Out: How these Mansfield pubs and restaurants have found the Government scheme

The Eat Out to Help Out scheme is coming to a close next week – but how useful has it been for Mansfield’s restaurants?
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The scheme was created as a way of increasing demand for the hospitality industry by enticing customers to eat out with 50 per cent discounts up for grabs at their favourite eateries on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Government-led initiative started on August 3, and plenty of people have taken advantage so far, but it will come to an end shortly on August 31.

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Now we have found out what some eateries in Mansfield thought of the scheme and how it has impacted their trade.

The Red Bar and Grill, which is part of the Cheeky Monkeys group, has seen double the amount of customers eating at their venue since the scheme was launched.The Red Bar and Grill, which is part of the Cheeky Monkeys group, has seen double the amount of customers eating at their venue since the scheme was launched.
The Red Bar and Grill, which is part of the Cheeky Monkeys group, has seen double the amount of customers eating at their venue since the scheme was launched.

The Red Bar and Grill, on Bancroft Road, part of the Cheeky Monkeys group, has been a popular spot for people to eat out seeing double the amount of customers eating at their venue since the scheme was launched.

Deputy Manager, Jenny Sturgis said: “It’s going really really well with us, we are booked out tonight, and most of the venues are that are doing it.

“The first few weeks of us open, we were busier than we were before lockdown.

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People had gone so long in lockdown that it was a joy for them to come out, so we were finding that the numbers were almost double what we were doing on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday before lockdown.”

She added: “I think it’s a good scheme. It’s getting people out and about isn’t it, and obviously with the fact that the company can claim it back it’s even better for us in that way.”

Another popular eatery included is the Dog and Duck in Kings Clipstone where business has been ‘really positive’ since the scheme came into place.

Vicky Garcia from the pub said: “Business has certainly increased, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have now become our Friday, Saturday and Sunday without a doubt.

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“I think it’s very positive, I think it’s very good for everybody not only for the customers but for businesses connected to the restaurant because obviously, you have your butchers, veg suppliers and breweries.

“So obviously it’s crazy business on other sides, so I think it’s been a very positive thing.”

The pub has also adapted well to the latest changes including the social distancing guidelines set out by the government.

Vicky added: “Because we have such a large venue we have had to take a few of the tables out, but when the weather is nice we have a large garden, so it hasn’t really affected us much in that way.

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“We have sanitising, we advise the customers and we don’t take more than six people at a table so we’ve been really good at adapting.”

Independent family-run restaurant, Forever Green at Ransom Wood Business Park has been full since the scheme started.

Manager Nick Walters, said: “We’ve been full every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 am onward.”

Nick said that the scheme has ‘helped massively.’

The scheme will end on Monday, August 31 but some restaurants have decided to extend the 50 per cent discounts beyond August.