[Food] The Government's Eat Out To Help Out scheme

[Denis]

On very much smaller scale, I went into the M&S cafe at Holmbush for my usual large skinny latte. Usual price, £3.05, less the new VAT, less my staff discount, then the 50% off, I paid £1.03 in the end! I’ll make sure I have something to eat next time.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Just used the scheme at my local garden centre restaurant for lunch - all done automatically - very easy.

 

[lawros left foot]

You can only put in 5 claims? Some mistake shirley?

Sorry, no, I didn’t make myself clear. You can only claim a maximum of 5 times, but, there is no limit to the amount of refunds on each claim. And the scheme is only available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until the 31st of August. The last day a business can submit a claim for these days, is 30th September.

 

[SeagullinExile]

What I've noticed so far is that - at least in the area I have searched - most of the higher end restaurants are the ones conspicuous by their absence. Is it that they are better positioned financially to not "need" the help?

I'm trying to work out why a restaurant wouldn't make use of the scheme? Any thoughts?

Probably because they only want a certain class of people as guests.

 

[SeagullinExile]

In mine, you order your food and automatically get 50% off. Easy peasy.

 

[El Presidente]

It's good to see the nation can eat out in restaurants, although perhaps not in the way our Prime Minister has chosen to do so with a young lady recently.

 

[beorhthelm]

Pubs are for old men and their whippets round here!

No it's a fair point, may try and find somewhere.

most chains are children friendly with colouring/puzzle sheet and kids menus.

problem will be finding a table, market intell is the ones round here are all booked for this week already (until Thursday of course).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

How it works.

You come to my cafe, with 2 friends. You each order a meal and soft drink or beverage. You get charged 50% of the price each. So, if your own bill came to £14 you would pay £7and the Government will reimburse my cafe £7. The scheme is up to the value of £10 per person per meal, therefore if one of your friends had a meal had a meal costing £25, they would pay £15 and I would claim £10 from HMRC.

From the 7th August. I will be able to get the money back, paid straight into my business bank account. It will take about 5 days, and you can only put in 5 claims, up until the 30th September.
I only have to keep a daily record of how much I have to claim, there is no mention on the website of receipts or proving how much you have discounted.
I don’t even think customers have to request the discount, it will be automatically subtracted from your bill.


It could be an invitation to massive fraud, how they will combat this, I have no idea.

I’m sure they will have a few checks in the system to weed out any ridiculous claims. Otherwise do they need to combat this? If they put sufficient checks in place to ensure no one takes the piss the initiative becomes counter productive as 1) it becomes bureaucratic which puts businesses off and then puts them at risk 2) the additional cost to administer full checks may be more than the fraudulent payments which isn’t cost efficient.

I’m happy to state I had multiple meals at your place if we go 50/50 on the claim?

 

[SeagullinExile]

My company discount works with it too. I could go to somewhere like Miller & Carter and get a whopping 83% discount! Looks like im living on sirloin or fillet steak Mon-Weds this month!!

 

[lawros left foot]

I’m sure they will have a few checks in the system to weed out any ridiculous claims. Otherwise do they need to combat this? If they put sufficient checks in place to ensure no one takes the piss the initiative becomes counter productive as 1) it becomes bureaucratic which puts businesses off and then puts them at risk 2) the additional cost to administer full checks may be more than the fraudulent payments which isn’t cost efficient.

I’m happy to state I had multiple meals at your place if we go 50/50 on the claim?

Join the queue

Seriously, I think you may be right, If I start taking 25 times my take pre-covid on the first 3 days of the week, I think they will smell a rat.
We open for the first time tomorrow, and, we have had a lot of inquiries over the last week where we’ve been on the premises getting everything ready, and not one has asked if we are partaking in this scheme, so, it’ll either be a flop, or a nice surprise for our customers when they only have to pay 50% of their bill.

 

[zamora the merrier]

Just done it - all taken care of automatically. Great initiative!!

 

[CHAPPERS]

On very much smaller scale, I went into the M&S cafe at Holmbush for my usual large skinny latte. Usual price, £3.05, less the new VAT, less my staff discount, then the 50% off, I paid £1.03 in the end! I’ll make sure I have something to eat next time.

Just a coffee?

 

[Notters]

most chains are children friendly with colouring/puzzle sheet and kids menus.

problem will be finding a table, market intell is the ones round here are all booked for this week already (until Thursday of course).

Whilst my post was tongue in cheek (ish) the three/four pubs nearest me are just boozers with no real food offering. A couple have opened up since we've moved here with a wide selection of ale and good food though, so the signs are good.

 

[schmunk]

It's good to see the nation can eat out in restaurants, although perhaps not in the way our Prime Minister has chosen to do so with a young lady recently.

* allegedly

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Join the queue

Seriously, I think you may be right, If I start taking 25 times my take pre-covid on the first 3 days of the week, I think they will smell a rat.
We open for the first time tomorrow, and, we have had a lot of inquiries over the last week where we’ve been on the premises getting everything ready, and not one has asked if we are partaking in this scheme, so, it’ll either be a flop, or a nice surprise for our customers when they only have to pay 50% of their bill.

Good luck with the re-opening!

 

[vegster]

Sorry, no, I didn’t make myself clear. You can only claim a maximum of 5 times, but, there is no limit to the amount of refunds on each claim. And the scheme is only available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until the 31st of August. The last day a business can submit a claim for these days, is 30th September.

Sadly the scheme is no use to me, I'm so knackered after work I could not contemplate going to eat out. I'd probably fall asleep in my soup.

 

[vegster]

It's good to see the nation can eat out in restaurants, although perhaps not in the way our Prime Minister has chosen to do so with a young lady recently.

Don't tell me poor old Carrie is on her way out already? Not another U turn from the fat Casanova?

 

[dolphins]

Just back from a family late lunch at Donatello's. Didn't need to mention the scheme, the bill came with the discount clearly shown on it, and they'd also worked out the tip based on the full price (which is what we hope people will do, rather than base the tip on what they are being asked to pay). Very easy, great value, great food and already looking to go back there. Food always decent there. Smaller menu than BC (before Corona) but most if not all the faves on there, I'm sure... As they are a restaurant who have long supported BHA, I'm also keen to support them in my own small way by eating there.

 

[rigton70]

If i walk in to Mcd or KFC surely i can walk out with what i bought?

Or is this classed as a takeaway.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If i walk in to Mcd or KFC surely i can walk out with what i bought?

Or is this classed as a takeaway.

The ads I’ve seen all saying you must eat-in.