Brewer and bars group joins campaign for more support for hospitality sector
BREWDOG’s chief operating officer has written to MPs in a bid to gather support for Hospitality Union’s #NationalTimeOut movement.
David McDowall wrote to 43 MPs with Brewdog venues in their constituencies to encourage them to back the group’s campaign, which is calling for commercial rent payments to be postponed until January 2021, landlords to be allowed to extend leases for nine months, landlords to be enabled to delay loan repayments by nine months and for the introduction of further levels of protection for landlords.
McDowall said: “We support Hospitality Union with the #NationalTimeOut rescue plan for the hospitality industry. Without a radical approach to supporting tenants and landlords we’re risking the future of hospitality in this country, and millions of hospitality jobs.
“We have worked hard to build our business, but the future is looking very uncertain without this much needed support.”
McDowall’s comments come as CGA released figures showing that 89% of 120 operators surveyed would support a debt moratorium and that rent payments and landlord agreements are some of the top challenges currently facing businesses.
Hospitality Union was set up by London street food market entrepreneur Jonathan Downey ahead of the coronavirus closure announcement and is now said to comprise more than 3000 hospitality business owners across the UK working to save pubs, clubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. The group outlined the key points of his #NationalTimeOut campaign in a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak on April 20.
