A Yoxford restaurant managed by a husband and wife team is continuing with its meals at home service during the second lockdown after it proved popular throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Main’s Restaurant, in High Street, has not opened to diners since March due to the building’s shape and size, which would make social distancing and being Covid-secure difficult.
Nancy Main, who runs the business with her partner Jason Vincent, said the initial lockdown prompted the couple to begin offering a home delivery or collection meal service on weekends.
Mrs Main said the scheme has proved a hit with the restaurant’s regulars and allowed the business to maintain an income throughout the year.
She said: “We closed the restaurant the weekend before lockdown as it was clear that everyone was cancelling.
“We’re quite a small restaurant, so it didn’t seem feasible to reopen. We thought ‘how on earth would we get through this?’.
“We just thought this is how we were going to do it as we had so many cancellations.
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“We had no idea how many people would be interested, so we were amazed at the uptake.
“Some people have made it into a date night.”
Restaurants and other hospitality venues were allowed to reopen on July 4 after the first lockdown, but Mrs Main said the “small and awkwardly” layout of Main’s meant keeping customers safe would be a challenge.
As such, the restaurant has remained closed for the majority of the year - only taking orders through its website for food that can be collected or delivered on Friday afternoons.
Mrs Main has called for residents to support small businesses however they can during the second lockdown, believing it to be “hugely important” due to a loss of income during the pandemic.
She also said any money spent at the restaurant would be used to support other firms and boost the Suffolk economy.
Mrs Main added: “It’s been a really nice community thing. The best part of having a restaurant is the people in the community here.
“When you’re supporting our small business, you’re supporting other small businesses as well. It goes around and it spreads.
“I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us. It has enabled us to carry on paying the mortgage.”
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