允咖啡店“一桌一人”营业

何子孟盼网开一面·允咖啡店“一桌一人”营业.
在即将晋入第四阶段行动管制令，以及政府可能会逐步放宽数个领域之际 ，马新咖啡茶业联合总会总会长拿督何子孟希望政府能对咖啡店业者网开一面，允许在“一桌一人”，或最多一张桌子只能供两个人用餐的形式下，让咖啡店业者得以开门营业。他今日向星洲日报说，餐饮业目前虽获准以打包或外带形式营业，然而，咖啡店业者的营业额已剧降90%，该会会员都难以面对这眼前的困境。他认为，允许让咖啡店业者在店内将桌子排例妥当，并在符合社交距离标准的“一桌一人”的形式下开门营业，相信咖啡店的营业额就会增加。他指出，该会将向国家安全理事会提呈建议书，恳请政府能够在第四阶段行管令于4月29日开始实施时，放宽让咖啡店业者的营业形式，否则，更多业者接下来将面临倒闭。
须改变方式求存
何子孟补充，该会属下逾2万名会员都了解到行管令四度延长的必要性，也考虑到该领域要如何做出改变，但还是建议政府考虑让该业以另一种新模式，让业者可营业生存。
他希望政府能考虑该会提出的“一桌一人”建议，或最多一张桌子只能供两个人用餐，以符合社交距离的标准。
他也强调，咖啡店业者欲在这段艰苦时期生存下去，就必须改变营业方式。

Calling for “A TABLE FOR ONE DINER”
PETALING JAYA: With restaurants and coffee shops taking a hit during the movement control order (MCO), operators are calling on the government to allow them to resume business by seating one customer to one table — to comply with social distancing.
Malaysia Singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors’ General Association president Datuk Ho Su Mong said allowing them to operate with the change in seating arrangement would help them to survive.
“We are appealing to the government to allow us to make a change so that the impact on all food and beverage industry will be reduced.
“We advocate for ‘a table for one person” to dine or at the most for two in order to keep to the social distancing regulation.
“We have to change the pattern of doing business if we want to survive,” he said.Dato Ho said tens of thousands of coffee shops had already been badly affected, while some had folded during the MCO.
He said that as much as operators understand the need for the MCO to be extended, they wanted the government to consider new ways which would allow them to reopen.
“We fully support the government’s move to extend the MCO to May 12 as the chain of the pandemic has to be broken otherwise it will cost the country a bomb,” he said.
He added that they would be writing in their suggestion to the government. The association claims to represent 20,000 Malaysian coffee shop owners.
Petaling Jaya Coffee Shop Association president Cheah Poo Kuang said the one table per customer rule was better than nothing for coffee shop operators, who were now barely surviving.
He said it could be modelled after countries that had successfully implemented the limited seating policy in order to curb the spread of Covid-19 such as China, Taiwan and South Korea.
“Many coffee shops in Petaling Jaya remained open and are forced to remain open despite our business dropping by about 70% because we still have to pay rent.
“Having the one diner per table rule would help us because currently, we can only sell food for takeaways and also have to operate for shorter hours,” said Cheah yesterday.
He said that having the one table per customer rule meant that it would be easy to ensure social distancing among their dine-in customers.
“We can study the model from China or Taiwan to see how they successfully implemented it. We will ensure that social distancing rules are followed at all times,” he said.
However, Malaysian Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said they would stick to following the orders given by the National Security Council (NSC).
“We will follow what the government says on the matter.
“It is not really logical for nasi kandar restaurants to have only one customer per table.
“We reserve our comments on the proposal (by Ho) and would rather wait for directions and orders from the NSC,” said Jawahar when contacted.
Previously, Jawahar had asked the government for extended opening hours as mamak eateries prepare for Ramadan customers.
Jawahar had said the present closing time of 8pm should be extended to cater to those who wanted to buy food for sahur (pre-dawn buka puasa meal).