A bar which promotes itself as the home of “booze and ball games” has announced an August 1 reopening date.
Roxy Ball Room, in Thurland Street, Nottingham will open its doors in just over a fortnight for the first time since lockdown began in March.
The business said it was now ready to welcome customers back to a safe environment, to enjoy its “Olympic-standard” butterfly ping-pong tables, American pool, 18ft shuffleboard table and beer pong stations.
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It comes after hospitality and tourism bosses in Nottingham welcomed Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s proposals last week to help some of the hardest-hit sectors recover from the economic crisis.
In his mini-Budget, the Chancellor said he was cutting VAT on hospitality from 20 per cent to 5 per cent as part of a £30 billion plan to slow the spread of unemployment and stimulate the economy.
The cut applies to eat-in or hot takeaway food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, cafes and pubs, accommodation in hotels, B&Bs, campsites and caravan sites, and attractions such as cinemas, theme parks and zoos.
Registrations have also opened for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, where bars, pubs and restaurants offer a 50 per cent reduction, up to £10 per person, to anyone sitting down for food and drinks on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August.
Joel Mitchell, brand development manager at Roxy Ball Room, said: “Like many hospitality-based businesses, it has been a hard period for us all. We currently have nine venues across the 海角视频, with plans to open more.
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“But on a positive note, we can’t wait to welcome customers back into Roxy Ball Room.
“We pride ourselves on offering a fun environment for our customers and staff to enjoy, so we want to reassure customers that their experience at Roxy Ball Room will be safe.”
As part of the reopening it will be necessary for all customers to pre-book online, while the bar is asking customers to pay by card or contactless.
Bar bookings should be made online for a maximum of six guests per table until further notice.
Mr Mitchell said: “We have obviously taken all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our customers and staff, so that everyone can hopefully relax and enjoy their time, without any worry.
“The venue will be operating a QR code ordering system, which can be found on every gaming, drinking and beer pong table, to avoid queueing.
“All staff will be wearing appropriate PPE as well as receiving daily temperature checks.
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“The entrances to the Nottingham bar will feature hand sanitising stations, where visitors will be required to clean their hands before being seated at their pre-booked table.
“There will also be enhanced cleaning schedules between games.
“There will also be a limited customer capacity to allow extra space with guidance and signage around the venue.
“We have followed the government advice to the letter and ask everyone to please have fun responsibly and enjoy all that Roxy Ball Room has to offer.”
Welcoming the Chancellor’s extra support for hospitality, Robert Dixon, interim chief executive of Marketing Nottingham, said: “The reduction in VAT and the introduction of discounts when dining out will truly help to breathe new life back into a sector which has been largely dormant since the start of lockdown.
“Nottinghamshire’s visitor economy is worth an estimated £1.9 billion and employs over 23,000 people, and this radical and positive step will kickstart our visitor economy and protect jobs whilst encouraging consumers to return to doing the things they love most in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
“We are fully supportive of this move and we’re confident that it will be a significant step along the road to recovery.”
Richard Johal, chair of Nottingham Hospitality Association, said: "The Eat Out to Help Out scheme that will entitle every diner to a 50 per cent discount up to £10 per head on their meal, at participating pubs, restaurants, cafes or food service establishments, will provide a much-needed boost to the industry.
"We are pleased that Mr Sunak has recognised the vital role the hospitality industry plays in the 海角视频 economy as pubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels are the mainstay of the nation's high streets, employing over 2.4 million workers.
“Lockdown has taken a heavy toll on this industry and we welcome today's measures as part of our route to recovery."