Most restaurants in Malta and Gozo have shifted from their normal ‘dine-in’ operations to provide take-away and delivery services, Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association (MHRA) president Tony Zahra said.

“The saying that ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions’ can definitely apply to these restaurants in this situation,” he said.

Nearly a month has passed since the government announced the closure of all bars, cafes and restaurants, allowing only take-away or delivery services. The Malta Independent spoke to Zahra on how restaurants have adapted to continue serving clients this Easter.

“As a representative of the Maltese hospitality industry, we now look back to Easter 2019 with very fond memories, as this was the time when we were experiencing record tourist arrivals and very good prospects for the Easter holidays. Of course, this year it will be different since the only business being experienced right now is the take-away business.”

He said that from feedback provided by the restaurants who have reached out to MHRA, Zahra understands that the ‘take-away’ service is catching on and that patrons of particular restaurants have now become ‘take-away’ clients.

“Take-away is not going to replace the dining experience, but for now it provides the business with necessary cash flow, and also gives the people staying at home a break from cooking daily.”

Zahra added that the airport lockdown and lockdown on bars, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality establishments have had a devastating effect on the whole hospitality industry.

“I do not think there has been a situation in the last 100 years when the businesses mentioned before went from a very healthy turnover to zero turnovers in a week.” He said that all establishments are facing difficulties, and at the time of writing there is no indication as when such establishments will return to their normal operations. “We need to urgently know how we shall re-open and when that will happen,” explained Zahra.

He said that now is the time to stay positive, despite the difficulty of the situation, but said it is imperative that the economy remains strong.

“Whilst of course we need to ensure that we listen to what we are being told from the medical point of view, nevertheless we must also make sure that economically the cure will not be worse than the disease itself; we must now start working on how we can deliver a safe and secure service to inhouse clients when we reopen,” he said.