Couple who closed their new pub just an HOUR after opening the day of lockdown are gearing up for July 4th
A couple who were forced to close their new pub just ONE HOUR after staging a grand opening on lockdown day are gearing up for a big July 4 knees-up.Mark and Katie Symes were thrilled when they snapped up the Exeter Arms and splashed out more than £100,000 on refurbishments.They spent weeks getting their dream pub in pretty Barrowden, Rutland, ready and held a grand opening on March 20.But just one hour after serving locals their first pints, Boris Johnson announced that all pubs and restaurants would close due to coronavirus.The distraught couple feared their new venture would collapse, but they have spent the last three months working to reopen for customers while following social distancing rules.Mark, 56, said: "We opened our doors at 5pm and at 6pm news came through that Boris Johnson was closing pubs - it was surreal."There was almost a rivalry between a few of them to be the first to get a pint out of the new pub, which was lovely."The villagers had only just bought their first pints when we had to tell them the pub was closing."They'd already waited months for the pub to reopen, it was pretty emotional and my wife and I were devastated."We're absolutely delighted at the word coming out that pubs will open again on July 4. "We were the last people to open before lockdown and I want to make sure I'm one of the first to come out of lockdown mode and start trading."If we can enjoy the summer trade then we can hopefully make up for the losses during lockdown."Mark and wife Katie, 50, bought the historic pub in January and spent thousands on a makeover.Mark said: "We refurbished the whole of the inside as the business was quite a tired, outdated pub in a beautiful location. "We spent over six figures on the inside, getting it looking absolutely fantastic. "We had new stone flooring, a new bar, new furniture.
Everything was completely refitted."But their dream of owning and running their own pub threatened to turn into a nightmare when coronavirus spread to the UK.Dad-of-one Mark said: "In the early part of March, we could see on the news things were escalating and getting worse. "In Ireland, they shut pubs about 10 days before the UK did. "I said to my wife 'I would have thought that would have been the last country in the world to shut pubs so we're probably going to be next.'"I thought, 'Crikey.
What do we do?'
We were going to have no income, just laid out all our capital, what are we going to do.
It was pretty distressing."Since the lockdown, we've explored lots of different ways we can open the pub again while keeping customers and staff safe.The couple have been running a takeaway food service including pie night, curry night and fish and chip Friday's as well as a Sunday roast service.They also delivered meals to elderly residents who were self-isolating and supplied the village shop with food when they ran out. Support from locals has meant the couple have been able to operate the pub's takeaway service while they work to adjust to social distancing guidelines for the reopening.In readiness for an expected July 4 reopening, the couple have used a £40,000 Bounce Back Loan to kit out their beer garden with new furniture and expanding the pathways.Mark added: "We're blessed with a huge beautiful open garden space in the back of the pub, so when we're allowed to open our gardens, it will be a great advantage. "There's no protection from the elements so we're building a full outdoor kitchen, an outdoor bar with a pergola off the back, patio heaters suspended from the ceilings and lovely raised flower beds to give windbreaks. "We have bought five big tents that can be put up in the garden, where we can put some tables and chairs inside so people can have a private dining family area. "A large number of people are scared to death out there and I can understand that they're going to be worried about coming into the hospitality area. "Our garden is the best opportunity for us to be able to mitigate against that loss of internal turnover, if we can create outside safe dining spaces and drinking spaces. "A lot of the brewers recalled their stock, but before they recalled it, I was able to secure more than 40 barrels that have best by dates running through to the end of August. "So we took the gamble that we'd be able to trade in the garden by then.
I made sure I've got stock already on the premises now so when we are able to open the doors. "No doubt there will be an initial surge from big supporters of pubs who will want to be getting a few pints."We can't wait to reopen, it's going to be a big night for everyone."
A couple who were forced to close their new pub just ONE HOUR after staging a grand opening on lockdown day are gearing up for a big July 4 knees-up.Mark and Katie Symes were thrilled when they snapped up the Exeter Arms and splashed out more than £100,000 on refurbishments.They spent weeks getting their dream pub in pretty Barrowden, Rutland, ready and held a grand opening on March 20.But just one hour after serving locals their first pints, Boris Johnson announced that all pubs and restaurants would close due to coronavirus.The distraught couple feared their new venture would collapse, but they have spent the last three months working to reopen for customers while following social distancing rules.Mark, 56, said: "We opened our doors at 5pm and at 6pm news came through that Boris Johnson was closing pubs - it was surreal."There was almost a rivalry between a few of them to be the first to get a pint out of the new pub, which was lovely."The villagers had only just bought their first pints when we had to tell them the pub was closing."They'd already waited months for the pub to reopen, it was pretty emotional and my wife and I were devastated."We're absolutely delighted at the word coming out that pubs will open again on July 4.
"We were the last people to open before lockdown and I want to make sure I'm one of the first to come out of lockdown mode and start trading."If we can enjoy the summer trade then we can hopefully make up for the losses during lockdown."Mark and wife Katie, 50, bought the historic pub in January and spent thousands on a makeover.Mark said: "We refurbished the whole of the inside as the business was quite a tired, outdated pub in a beautiful location.
"We spent over six figures on the inside, getting it looking absolutely fantastic.
"We had new stone flooring, a new bar, new furniture.
Everything was completely refitted."But their dream of owning and running their own pub threatened to turn into a nightmare when coronavirus spread to the UK.Dad-of-one Mark said: "In the early part of March, we could see on the news things were escalating and getting worse.
"In Ireland, they shut pubs about 10 days before the UK did.
"I said to my wife 'I would have thought that would have been the last country in the world to shut pubs so we're probably going to be next.'"I thought, 'Crikey.
What do we do?'
We were going to have no income, just laid out all our capital, what are we going to do.
It was pretty distressing."Since the lockdown, we've explored lots of different ways we can open the pub again while keeping customers and staff safe.The couple have been running a takeaway food service including pie night, curry night and fish and chip Friday's as well as a Sunday roast service.They also delivered meals to elderly residents who were self-isolating and supplied the village shop with food when they ran out.
Support from locals has meant the couple have been able to operate the pub's takeaway service while they work to adjust to social distancing guidelines for the reopening.In readiness for an expected July 4 reopening, the couple have used a £40,000 Bounce Back Loan to kit out their beer garden with new furniture and expanding the pathways.Mark added: "We're blessed with a huge beautiful open garden space in the back of the pub, so when we're allowed to open our gardens, it will be a great advantage.
"There's no protection from the elements so we're building a full outdoor kitchen, an outdoor bar with a pergola off the back, patio heaters suspended from the ceilings and lovely raised flower beds to give windbreaks.
"We have bought five big tents that can be put up in the garden, where we can put some tables and chairs inside so people can have a private dining family area.
"A large number of people are scared to death out there and I can understand that they're going to be worried about coming into the hospitality area.
"Our garden is the best opportunity for us to be able to mitigate against that loss of internal turnover, if we can create outside safe dining spaces and drinking spaces.
"A lot of the brewers recalled their stock, but before they recalled it, I was able to secure more than 40 barrels that have best by dates running through to the end of August.
"So we took the gamble that we'd be able to trade in the garden by then.
I made sure I've got stock already on the premises now so when we are able to open the doors.
"No doubt there will be an initial surge from big supporters of pubs who will want to be getting a few pints."We can't wait to reopen, it's going to be a big night for everyone."
