LONDON (UK) – For Britons who are craving to have a Greggs sausage roll after the 12 weeks of coronavirus lockdown, the wait is almost over as the firm has announced its plans to reopen 800 shops on Thursday.
The UK baker, also known for its steak bakes, vegan snacks and sweet treats, closed all of its more than 2,050 outlets on March 24 when the country went on coronavirus lockdown.
Thursday’s reopening for takeaway only, and with a menu limited to bestsellers, follows a successful trial of a small number of shops where operational changes, including new workwear, equipment and social distancing measures, were tested.
Greggs plans to open the rest of its shops in early July.
The group said it could not predict the impact of social distancing on its ability to trade or on customer demand.
“However, our capacity to operate will be restricted by size of shop and we must anticipate that sales may be lower than normal for some time,” it said.
It said it would keep a proportion of its 25,000 staff on the government’s job retention furlough scheme until sales levels return to normal.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field
