Edinburgh restaurant fills tables with skeletons to show how ‘dead’ business is

An Edinburgh restaurant has responded to lockdown restrictions by filling the tables with skeletons to show how “dead” business is under the current measures.

Chris Doherty, owner of Hemingway’s in Leith, said the decorations were originally bought to celebrate reopening this Halloween weekend.

However, when the First Minister extended the closures in the central belt, he said setting the skeletons up at tables was his own tongue-in-cheek response.

Mr Doherty said: “We were in lockdown but we were told we were going to be able to open on the 26th, which was the Monday before Halloween.

Hemingways bar and restaurant is currently closed due to COVID 19 restrictions in place across the Central belt of Scotland picture: Lisa Ferguson/JPI Media COVID 19, CORONA VIRUS - Hemmingways bar and restaurant is currently closed due to COVID 19 restrictions in place across the Central belt of Scotland. However staff have decorated thir bar with skeletons and other Halloween things. SKeletons enjoy bottles of Corona and als glasses of Moet

“So I started buying up decorations and I had an idea instead of – so at the moment we’ve got rid of 50% of our seats for social distancing – I was going to bring back in those seats and put a bunch of skeletons in between so they were having dinner beside you.

“That was the plan – to show how dead everything is in terms of atmosphere. Then obviously everything changed when Nicola Sturgeon said that the lockdown would be extended.

“I didn’t want the party stuff to go to waste and had the shop front and thought we’d put on a display to, I guess, get a use out of it. I thought people would get a kick out of the fact that everyone knows business is dead at the moment.”

While Mr Doherty hopes he can keep some spirits up with the spooky window display, he said that there is concerns for the industry “this time around”.

Hemingways bar and restaurant is currently closed due to COVID 19 restrictions in place across the Central belt of Scotland picture: Lisa Ferguson/JPI Media

He said: “The new grant they brought out was that you get £2,800 based on rates. That’s not really going to do anything. Thankfully my landlord reduced the rent, so that’s helpful. But there’s not enough support – certainly this time around.

“We have staff that are going to have issues.”

Mr Doherty believes that a two-week full lockdown, such as the one Ireland has brought in, would do more to halt the rapid spread of Covid-19, compared to the “half measures” currently being taken.

He said: “I understand what Nicola Sturgeon is doing but … it’s a half measure. If she was going to close down, she should close down everything so that it was all ready again for December.

“Maybe something similar to what Ireland has done with a complete lockdown so we could open up completely for December. I think probably that makes more sense.”

The hospitality sector has taken a serious hit in the last few weeks after the Scottish Government called for all pubs and restaurants to remain closed in the Central Belt due to the ongoing pandemic.

The restrictions were due to be lifted on October 25, but due to a continued surge in coronavirus cases across the country, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon extended the rules until November 2, when they will be revised again.

The regulations include keeping all pubs and restaurants in the Central Belt closed, but they can still provide takeaway meals.

Licensed premises across other areas in Scotland can remain open for serving food, but have restricted opening times and if they wish to serve alcohol it is only permitted outdoors until 10pm.

Story reported by Scotsman Food and Drink staff.

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