Coronavirus: Greggs to start reopening branches for takeaway and delivery
High street bakery chain Greggs is preparing to reopen to provide a takeaway service during the coronavirus lockdown.
All of the cafe chain’s stores are currently closed due to the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. However, the government restrictions allow cafes and restaurants to remain open for takeaway and delivery services.
The company said it will trial reopening a small number of stores before rolling out its new takeaway format across its more than 2,000 UK branches.
A Greggs spokesperson told The Sun: “We want to play our part in getting the nation back up and running again so we are planning to conduct a limited trial with volunteers to explore how we can reopen our shops with new measures in place that keep our colleagues and customers as safe as we can when we reopen at scale.”
Meanwhile US burger chain Shake Shack has also announced plans to reopen two London branches.
The fast food company’s Tottenham Court Road branch will be open for takeaway and delivery only from tomorrow with social distancing measures in place. Its Canary Wharf branch will open on Thursday.
Burger King has also announced plans to open a further 10 branches, after opening six sites for delivery earlier this month.
Chief executive Alasdair Murdoch told The Mail on Sunday that the next sites to open for delivery include Merton, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee.
Last week cafe chain Pret A Manger reopened 10 London sites near hospitals to offer delivery and collection services through Just Eat.
The company is planning to reopen more stores across the UK over the next few months.