Greggs to reopen 20 cafes – full list of branches
BAKERY chain Greggs has announced plans to reopen 20 stores as part of a “controlled trial”.
It will open the stores only for takeaways in the Newcastle area as it becomes the latest food retailer to announce plans to gradually resume operations.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
When is Greggs reopening?
Greggs has said the 20 stores will reopen from Monday, May 4 – all in the Newcastle area where the company headquarters are based.
The chain closed its over 2,050 stores on March 24 when the Government announced the lockdown.
In a letter to staff, chief executive Roger Whiteside said he expects the trial to last for at least two weeks.
He also said the bakery will produce a limited product range with shorter working hours.
The 20 branches are expected to follow social distancing rules as they take part in the trial.
According to Mr Whiteside, he hopes 700 stores, including 150 franchise shops will be opened from June 8.
By July 1, he expects the reopening of all stores as the government’s furlough scheme will come to an end around that time.
“We expect it will only be possible to open this many shops if the government has taken a first step in relaxing the lockdown, which could be to open the schools,” he said.
According to a spokeswoman: We want to play our part in getting the nation back up and running again so we are planning to conduct a limited trial with volunteers to explore how we can reopen our shops with new measures in place that keep our colleagues and customers as safe as we can when we re-open at scale.
Greggs joins other food chains who have either opened or are set to open select stores.
KFC and Burger King have began taking orders at a few branches, while reports suggest McDonalds is looking to open for drive thru and takeaway services by mid-May.
More on money
Can I get a Greggs delivery?
Greggs will begin deliveries by way of a new partnership with delivery service Just Eat.
Customers will be able to get their orders delivered to their homes as a result of the partnership.
A playful post on Just Eat’s Facebook page reads: “Since lockdown began, we haven’t been able to get you off our mind.
“Straight out of the oven you’re too hot to handle, but this doesn’t stop us from devouring you in minutes.”