Restaurants in Greece Expected to Re-open for Outdoor Service After Easter

Restaurants and other food and beverage (F&B) establishments in Greece will most likely be allowed to re-open and serve customers initially outdoors after the Easter holiday, Greek Deputy Development Minister Nikos Papathanasis said on Tuesday.

“When the time is right, F&B establishments will be allowed to operate and obviously we see this taking place sometime after Easter,” he told Mega Channel.

The Greek Orthodox Easter this year will be celebrated on Sunday, May 2.

“We have a country that allows F&B establishments to operate outdoors. Last year we started their operation outdoors first and this is probably how they will re-open again,” he added.

Hotel restaurants operate normally

Papathanasis also noted that tourism enterprises that offer restaurant and cafe services can operate, regardless of when the F&B sector can operate independently.

“Anyone staying in a hotel, can dine normally. F&B services that are associated with tourism function normally,” the deputy minister said.

As for when exactly restaurants can open independently, Papathanasis said the government “will wait for the experts” to decide.

It should be reminded that the Greek government last week announced that it would be subsidizing the country’s F&B sector with 330 million euros in aid to assist the establishments that have been closed due to Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Moreover, he left open the possibility of retail stores closing again, if there is a sharp spike is Covid-19 cases.

“Nothing can be ruled out. First of all we must protect public health,” he stressed.

Small retail stores in Greece were allowed as of April 5 to operate under specific rules.