One of Liverpool's most popular nightlife venues came close to going out of business in the midst of the pandemic, its boss has revealed, as he urged the Government to relax all restrictions as planned later this month.
Paul Speed, executive director of Baltic Triangle venue Camp and Furnace, told BusinessLive current restrictions mean his business - and many others around the 海角视频 - are a long way off making a profit while current Covid restrictions are in force.
He also spoke of his confidence for the future of the Greenland Street business, laying out plans including a new rooftop bar and more live concerts and gigs in 2022.
Next week, on June 14, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell the nation whether Step Four of the roadmap, which would remove all legal limits on social contact, weddings and events, will go ahead from June 21.
Mr Speed said: "I don't think we can be completely confident it will go ahead, but I'd be really, really disappointed at this point - being so close to June 21 - if restrictions were put on those events, because we literally have thought 'okay, we're going to sell tickets to our normal capacity'.
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"We are a business that sells tickets for events, so what can you do? Do you sell to half capacity, do you sell expecting to social distance? You can't say 'oh they might do it, they might not'. The type of venue we are, you've got to be committed.
"The tickets have sold really well, and come after an awful lot of reorganising. I don't know what you can do other than plan to open on June 21.
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"[The Government] can't advise each business individually on what they should do, but at the same time, perhaps the guidance should be a bit earlier than it is.
"With seven days to go, it really would be very difficult for us if they said we can't open back to normal."
With current restrictions in place, meaning six people from different households can eat or drink together inside, it's currently a challenge for most hospitality venues around the 海角视频 to turn a profit - and that's the case for Camp and Furnace too.
Mr Speed said: "We haven't fully opened at the moment, we are socially distancing, like everybody. That is not easy to make money, just with the size of the building. Because as soon as you start trading, different elements kick in.
"It's difficult to make a living with the numbers we can get into the room, but we want to be open.
"There's also a currency in entertaining people and a satisfaction that you get from seeing people in the building enjoying themselves.
"At the moment, we're probably breaking even or making a slight loss. But we want to have a presence and we want to be out and joining in with the bars that are open.
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"Unfortunately, we haven't got a very big outside space so we weren't able to open when the government said you can drink outside, and although we've got an outside space now, it's only four or five tables. So it's never going to do much trade for us."
Prior to the May 17 reopening date for indoor hospitality, the venue opened for just one night out of 15 months.
Mr Speed said there were times during that period when things looked "bleak".
He said: "Fortunately for us we got a grant through the Arts Council, and borrowed money through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) - and furlough of course.
"There were times when we thought 'are we actually going to come back?'
"But we just fought all the way through, wherever there was something to apply for or money to be borrowed, we just did it.
"We didn't want to let any staff go. Every one of them has got their own personal circumstances, mortgages, rent, family and kids.
"So you've got to be really sensitive to that so you just end up saying you'll try a bit harder and see if you can borrow more money or search everywhere to try and keep the business going. So that when we are back in business, we've got staff, and they haven't gone somewhere else.
"At one point it looked bleak, but we worked hard and now things are looking up."
Mr Speed and his venue are now looking to a bright future.
He said: "We are confident for the future - and that we can return to our pre-pandemic success.
"We've had time to think over the past 12 to 13 months and we are shifting direction a little bit.
"We've applied for a licence for the roof top and are working on getting a bar on the roof, like others who have looked at outside spaces over the last 12 months and found them."
He also said that after signing deals with major events and audio equipment firms, the venue will put on "a lot more concerts and gigs" next year.