Coronavirus: Littlehampton restaurant to deliver meals to self-isolating customers

Julie Fear runs The Boat House in the Marina, a restaurant in Ferry Road, Littlehampton. She was ‘devastated’ by Government advice for the public to avoid restaurants and pubs and feared for her elderly customers.

She said: “Everything keeps changing so fast. I worry about my employees as well but I will make sure they are all okay and do all I can for them; after all, we all have bills to pay.”

Julie said that in recent days the footfall into her restaurant had dropped by half, but they were still fully booked for Mother’s Day on March 22, despite calling to check. She said some reservations had asked to sit outside.

She said the response from customers to the guidance had been a ‘real mixed bag’, with some saying they would continue to go out and others ‘saying their goodbyes until it is all over’. She said: “We have to take each day as it comes from a business sense; if you look too far ahead it becomes gloom and doom.”

Julie will also be doubling as a delivery woman to take their customers’ favourite dishes to their homes if they were staying indoors.

Ben Roberts runs The Standard P micropub in Sea Road, East Preston, which has only been open for two months. He said: “It isn’t ideal, but we have to deal with what the Government decides.”

The landlord said they were considering closing in the next few days. In the last few days they had their ‘best weekend ever’, he said: “We thought this weekend might have been people having a ‘last hurrah’ before they can’t do anything for however long.”