Restaurants across the country are furious at the new restrictions, allowing 20 diners inside and 30 outside • Last weekend saw more than 20% drop in reservations

• | Death blow to the industry. "Restaurants are closed during the Corona

  Photo: 

  Oren Ben Hakun

In the world of restaurants and bars, they have become accustomed to bad news in recent months, but the new restrictions, which allow them to bring in at most 20 diners on the inside of the restaurant and 30 on the outside, have caused them anger and especially despair. 

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Even before the current restrictions, the increase in the number of patients and discussions about new restrictions or even possible closures, seemed to frighten diners and caused a sharp decline in restaurant bookings. Data from the "Ontopo" website shows that in the restaurant reservation data in the weekend of 18.6 compared to last weekend there are differences of more than 20%. The average cancellation percentage also increased from 10% to 23%. Data is worrying even before calculating the decline, by tens of percent, over the pre-Corona period. 

"As soon as the new restrictions were published, we worked with the restaurateurs to limit the number of invitees in the system as required by the government," said "Ontopo" CEO Danny Glickman. "In addition, we are thinking together with them about creative solutions and culinary projects for the continued existence of the industry, the strengthening of the restaurants and for the benefit of the diners, who want to go out and get well and eat well."

"Any change is a death blow to restaurants"

Aviel Oslander, owner of the Nam Restaurant in Tel Aviv, told Israel Today: "The state of the restaurants today is very difficult and complex. Most of us, who succeeded, opened the restaurants with the latest forces and resources after a difficult time.

"It's just like starting from scratch - investing a lot of money and energy and of course estimates for the purple character. Any change in the initial opening route right now is a death blow to restaurants. Reducing the amount of diners is worse than total closure, that's a dramatic reduction in revenue while most costs remain the same."

"The impending restrictions affect each of our four branches differently," says Tzilon Yaron, one of Tahina's hummus network. "Of course, it hurts profitability, but during this period we are mainly trying to deal with how to survive and roll and less profit.

"Even without the restrictions, in the concrete definitions of what is allowed and what is not allowed - people simply do not arrive. There has been a sharp decline since they started talking about a second wave, a decrease in the number of people arriving and an increase in the number of deliveries.

"The uncertainty is very great. We are not thinking at all about how to make money, but just want to survive, provide a place for our employees and entertainment for our diners. The situation is disturbing," Yaron added sadly.