Koronavirus – Prague: People went out on Advent Saturday, drank a welder
The government released on Thursday new resolution on the sale of beverages. It banned the sale of bottled or on-site beverages for immediate consumption outside its interior. Minister of Health Jan Blatný (for YES) said on Friday that the aim of the regulation is to so that people don’t walk the Christmas markets and the streets with cups and food. According to him, the measure does not apply to sales through a car window. The Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček (for YES) told Czech Radio Radiožurnál in the evening that it is possible to buy a drink with you and take it home or to the office, but it must not be consumed immediately after purchase.
Queues at Staromák
According to the ČTK reporter, cafes in the center of Prague are preparing drinks in cups, customers do not notice that they can only drink them in the car, office or home. The queue formed in the afternoon on the Old Town Square at the sale of mulled wine in small bottles. People enthusiastically took pictures of them and drank their favorite Christmas drink while walking through Prague.
“Absurd” government regulation
And how do the operators of restaurants or cafés view the situation? According to its operating director Jiří Štěpánek, the Boulevard Bageterie network did not take much with it in the event of a ban on the sale of beverages. Iced tea or fresh is also standard in closable bottles. The hot drinks in the cups now automatically cover the candle and provide a thermoregulatory holder to be ready to be taken with you. The regulation is perceived as ill-conceived in some cases counterproductive.
“For example, we recently introduced a seasonal novelty in the form of a hot vitamin drink to support immunity. However, this regulation loses its meaning. This restriction will deepen the already significant losses of cafes and restaurants, because no one wants to buy a hot drink at home, which will cool them down along the way, “he told ČTK.
According to Igor Třeslín, director of Storyous, which supplies technology and cash register systems to gastronomic companies, the government is unfair to the gastronomic industry. According to him, restaurants and other companies are doing their best to innovate, adjust the offer and reach customers. “The government is instead of supporting the country,He said. In recent months, coffee sales have been the only way to make a living for cafes, and now they will lose this income, he said.
The owners of the SmetanaQ Café & Bistro in Prague, Petra and Jozef Onderk, consider the ban on selling drinks to be taken away absurd. “To stay healthy, it is necessary to move in the fresh air, at least a little sun, in this winter we need to warm up outside – for example, with a cup of good coffee, which also puts us in a positive mood. In our opinion, coffee only in the car again only favors certain multinational chains. And the idea of bringing coffee home after a long time probably doesn’t even make sense to comment, “they said. At the same time, they warned that if the government decided to close the restaurant again and only sales through windows would be possible, coffee would remain the main item for SmetanaQ, food is in second place, they added.
According to Petr Ogurčák from the Prague bistro Etapa, people who take coffee with them almost always take it to their car, office or home. If you want to drink coffee right away, you sit down at the business, he said. According to its spokeswoman Eva Kotýnková, the Tchibo chain is following the situation and waiting for the situation to be clarified.