The Macau Post Daily asked two restaurant owners and two of their customers yesterday about their views on the first day of the government’s “stabilisation period” when dine-in services were back in action, in Areia Preta and Ouvidor Arriaga neighbourhoods respectively.
One of the owners, surnamed Lei, said she thought that her business yesterday had dropped slightly compared to the previous two weeks, when only takeaway services were allowed, adding that although the number of people coming to have their meal at her restaurant was more than she expected, takeaway orders had decreased at the same time. Lei said she thought that due to the stabilisation period, many companies required their employees to have their lunch at home, rather than eating at the company so the number of her takeaway orders had gone down. However, Lei said: “I think my business will improve next week when the stabilisation period is over”, adding that some of her customers went to her restaurant to order takeaway food, rather than eat at the restaurant due to their expired nucleic acid test (NAT) results.
Lei also said that although dine-in services were prohibited during the government’s COVID-19 prevention and control measures, her business was not affected “too much” by the measures, adding: “The takeaway services saved my business, so I could pay the restaurant’s expenses, such as employees’ salaries and the rent, last month”.
One of Lei’s customers, surnamed Chan, said: “This is my first dine-in meal after the resumption of the dine-in service”, adding that the negative NAT requirement did not impact him as he is required to undergo it once every three days. He also said that based on his observation, the number of restaurant customers was lower than the days before the current novel coronavirus outbreak, but more than he had expected.
Meanwhile, the other restaurant owner, surnamed Cheang, said that although his revenue yesterday had improved by 20 to 30 percent compared to previous weeks, it was still only 50 percent of the usual business on normal days before the latest outbreak occurred. However, Cheang said he believed that his business will gradually increase these days, adding that there will be more customers when the situation settles.
One of Cheang’s customers, surnamed Fong, who lives nearby, told The Macau Post Daily that she was not planning to go to the restaurant again for meals in the next few days, unless the government cancels the “negative NAT result” requirement. Fong’s current NAT result is still valid. She said: “I have never seen so few people in this restaurant.”
Patrons enjoy their meals yesterday at a local restaurant on the first day of the resumption of dine-in services.
Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
