Restaurateurs are pessimistic about eased restrictions in Georgia

The softening of anti-covid restrictions will not save catering establishments, since people have almost stopped visiting restaurants due to financial problems; and there is no hope for tourists, professionals of Georgia's restaurant business believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since July 1, Georgian authorities cancelled restrictions on movement at night; and since June 22, the demand to wear masks outdoor in street has ceased to operate.

The extension of the work hours of restaurants and cafes until 12 p.m. will not affect their profitability, Kote Gabrichidze, the President of the "Georgian Restaurant Association", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "We already work until 11 p.m. local time every day. But our profits are on average 20 percent of the 2019 level," he said.

This year, hopes for tourists are very low, Mr Gabrichidze has added. "People around the world are in a difficult situation; therefore, the inflow of tourists to Georgia is small. While in 2019, we had nine million guests, this year only 1.5 million can be expected," he said.

"People come very rarely. Unfortunately, they have run out of money – they have scanty earnings. Even taxi drivers, our main clients, are two times less than in 2019," Giorgi Mukhiani, the owner of the "Single" canteen located in the Tbilisi District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 23, 2021 at 03:54 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.