A survey conducted by the Association of Catering Establishments found that the lack of tourists in Malta was the main concern of the restaurant owners following reopening.

Restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 22, but only with measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, such as keeping tables a safe distance apart.

The association said many restaurant owners thought the reopening of the Malta International Airport on July 1 would be “a saving grace” but this did not have the expected effect.

The survey, which was conducted between July 6 and 10, found that following the airport’s reopening, 47.5% of respondents claimed that less than a quarter of tables were occupied during peak lunch hours.

Only 5% said that more than half the tables in July were occupied during peak lunch hours, and 12.5% claimed their restaurant was empty during these same hours.

The previous month, a third of respondents said their restaurant did not serve lunch.

During peak dinner hours, there was a marginal increase in the number of tables occupied, with 7.5% of respondents answering that their restaurant was empty in June, 2.5% in July.

While this was positive, it was too minimal to be of extreme significance, with 70% of respondents saying that only a quarter or fewer of their tables were occupied, a 5% rise from June’s 65%.

When asked what was troubling restaurant owners the most during the pandemic, 52.5% claimed that the lack of tourists was the main problem. This was followed by the distance between tables (17.5%). 

Another concern brought up by restaurant owners was the use of masks or visors by restaurant staff, with this being problematic due to there being individuals with certain health problems that could not wear such equipment, as well as the inconvenience of having prescription glasses become foggy.

The non-smoking policy which required that people stay 10 metres away from the restaurant while smoking was also heavily criticised with restaurants that had outdoor seating saying it drove people away.

Restaurants that only had indoor seating seemed to be in the greatest trouble with one respondent stating that people were “still afraid of going to an indoor restaurant”.

Just over a third (35%) of the respondents have indoor seating only, 7.5% had just outdoor seats, and 57.5% had both.

The restaurant owners called for the wage supplement provided for hotel restaurants to also be extended to stand-alone ones.