Eat Out To Help Out Scheme

[Hello Kitty]

Looks like a few restaurants have already decided to extend it

Coronavirus: Restaurants extend discount dining into September

Firms will use their own money to continue offering discounts when Eat Out to Help out ends.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Hello Kitty]

They said you had to spend at least £20 and my order only came to £18ish.

They were wrong but weren't having any of it so I had to ask to see the manager this is helping my assertiveness.

I don't get why 3 places now can't understand the basic scheme that helps them out.

Odd, I didn't think there was a minimum spend.

I haven't tried going to any restaurants yet, there's one I love near my office but I don't want to sit in there on my own

 

[Bumblebee]

I won’t be going out of my way but as it’s the school holidays will have the usual coffee and Nando’s lunches. Macdonalds won’t work as we always drive through.
I am going out with my mum to bills for pancakes next week. The price there for silly and they weren’t as nice as they were before they did all the branches up.
But in the main will be used meeting friends or taking teen dd for coffee shop lunches.

 

[SansaStark]

Had lunch out today. Very well organised. Sanitiser at the door (and dotted about); screens between tables, disposable menus and social distancing maintained.
very impressed.

That sounds perfect!
I’m really keen to go to my local pizza restaurant as haven’t been for almost 5 months!

 

[Ohflogoff]

Please educate me - as I understand it from this thread, McDonalds is in effect doing table service to prevent queues. How is it preventing staff from cleaning if you sit? They still have to clean the table...

Ooooooh you don’t queue and get it? I’m not privy to the maccas ordering and eating inside info. Regardless, if you order, pay and take it home, they get to get more customers through the door = more money. If someone sits at a table, orders, gets their food delivered and then buzzes off home, someone has to clean the table = keeps someone else in a job?

 

[coconochanel]

Are Starbucks doing it?

 

[Hello Kitty]

That's a breach of the scheme, but like these instatwats breaking ASA rules I doubt they'll ever get pulled up on it.

Nandos and five guys seemed dead Thurs and Fri, but the weather was great so that's half expected. I do think many people went earlier this week instead of at the weekend so moved buisness rather than creating more.

I may have read it wrong but I'm pretty sure it said something like 'to take advantage of the discount, a minimum spend of £10 is required' if it pops up again I'll check it.

 

[coconochanel]

Yeah I got an iced caramel latte from Costa for less than £1.50

did you sit in?

 

[TravellingPants]

Probably not. I’m still not mad keen on being out during busier times so not going to go against that to spend more than I’d be saving on food I haven’t really missed during lockdown.

 

[coconochanel]

I really hate this scheme. Future generations saddled with debt because people are paid to stay at home, then paid to eat out, then bought a free bike

But if they deduct it automatically I guess I'll get it a few times. Do you have to ask for it? Just had a drink and cake at Costa and was charged full price. Or do you have to order something to eat (I know it's in the name)?

Drinks arnt included. Did you eat in or take out?

 

[idk2]

It's a company choice whether they take part or not, it's not mandatory for all companies to do it.

I know, the takeaways have all signed up for the scheme though as per the govt website? Even though they have no indoor or outdoor seating. So it cant be Eat In to Help Out if theres no facilities for it.

 

[Tublet83]

My local independents had all announced a continuation of offers before the chains did (similar how they all carried on trading as takeaways when the chains closed down, and were the first to reopen)

 

[Ponponpon]

Youre misunderstanding me. I said the takeaways near me have all signed up to participate in the scheme themselves however they do not meet the criteria of having indoor/outdoor seating therefore surely cant be eligible? Idk if these businesses signed up by accident or if they're doing some sort of scam whereby they say people are eating in and claim the 50% off anyway.

Ah apologies. Well, McDonalds are doing it for drive through a I hear (personally I can't stand the place), so that's no different surely?


ETA - I stand corrected. They're likely to be required to refund the government (and/or fraud)...!!

Eligibility for ‘on-premises’ consumption
What counts as ‘on premises’
For the purposes of this scheme, the term ‘on premises’ means any area set aside for the consumption of food or non-alcoholic drink by that establishment’s customers, whether or not that area may also be used by the customers of other establishments.

Get more information about the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

www.gov.uk

.

 

[hrh89]

I just wanted a half price maccies but you have to sit in and have it. No thanks lol

 

[coconochanel]

Lots of independents around me are carrying it on into September themselves....

Hows that going to work the gov wont pay next months?

 

[fireflies]

Well i used the scheme grand total of times.

Took the kids to subway twice.

As its last week and not met freind in ages went to a local independent pub tue night.
Some restaurants mostly independent in local high street super busy with queue to get in.

Last night went out with entire family to beer garden and country pub another independent.

Today took teen shopping city centre restaurants were dead.
We went to independent Italian and cost 15 quid less for 2 today than paid for 6 of us last night.
We a large family of 6 so seldom all eat out usually costs around 70.

Husbands birthday next week so kind of wish they would extend it but unlikely.

Im starting my diet healthy eating when it ends so sept.
Also 1 of my children has birthday mid September.

 

[coconochanel]

I was adamant I wasn't going to go, now Im tempted to go to Starbucks/Costa and Wagamamas

 

[Ponponpon]

I think they're going to extend it.

With all the billions wasted spent of furlough it is small change and keeps some people happy.

It's making me realise just how expensive it is to eat out for average food. Would rather go out and spend £40-50 once a month for a few hours that's decent than somewhere you're in and out of pretty quickly for average food.

You can now get supermarket meal deals delivered to your door. The huge expansion of casual dining was unsustainable.

Oh FFS. Just for that I hope more companies than we've heard of pull out of it.

 

[JodieGreen123]

As a qualified accountant I can promise you this will not happen because
A) they’d have to pay more tax
B) where would the income be coming from on their accounts, as in the 50% of the meal the customer pays for. They’d have to pay it out of their personal account / cash
C) stock levels wouldn’t match up.
D) multiple people would need to be involved with the fraud to bypass it and wouldn’t happen unless a family owned restaurant or pub
They might be able to get away with under 10 meals but what’s the point.

If I ran a restaurant I’d ensure the price of every cheaper meal was £19.99 for the duration of the scheme though...

 

[Renegadedancer]

Been to pizza express, two adults, two children £40.00 with the discount ....it was nice but that’s about as much as it’s worth, there’s no way it’s worth double that.