Restaurateurs feel pinch of extended curfew

AMMAN — The government’s decision to extend curfew and reinstate Friday’s lockdown continued to draw negative reactions from the restaurant sector despite allowing orders via delivery services during curfew up to midnight.

The government announced last week that restaurants will be allowed to operate and receive customers as usual until 6pm, after which the partial lockdown comes into force. Nevertheless, restaurants will still be able to operate, albeit via delivery services solely and up to midnight only.

“The government’s decision has affected our sales decreasing it to half what it normally is,” Bader Abu Al Ezz, an owner of a restaurant in Amman, told The Jordan Times. 

Yet Bader acknowledged the fact of diminishing purchasing power in general, which made more people prefer to eat at home as opposed to eating out or ordering from restaurants.

Moutaz Ameen, a marketing manager at a local restaurant, agreed with much of what Bader said, noting that the sector was hit by the recent decisions with extended curfew and reinstated lockdown of Fridays.

“It was already challenging for us to cope with the pandemic, now with the recent decisions it has become extremely challenging,” Ameen said.

Saif Esmat, owner of a local restaurant in Amman, added: “Our main struggle is that we still pay our costs at regular rates without any exemptions. I hope our sector receive more assistance.”