Closing again has been painful, says Wolverhampton bar owner
"You know you give up your weekend, work extra hours and it's taken away just like that. It's painful."
Those are the words of a bar owner in Wolverhampton who will be forced to close his business due to the second lockdown on Thursday.
Chammi Hothi, manager and co-owner of Parkfield Central Bar & Grill, said the Martin Street site would offer takeaway deliveries.
But he described the situation as being painful due to him closing to people for the second time this year after the March lockdown.
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The 46-year-old said: "I thought we would've gone to Tier 3 for a few weeks, but I knew lockdown was coming. I knew we were going toward it, but I thought it would be at the end of November.
"But obviously they said the news had leaked and here we are. It wasn't a shock, it's painful because it's taken us a while to get where we are. And it's not just us – it's every bar, restaurant and non-essential shop who have been there – who works hard.
"It's painful because it's a personal thing – it feels like that because we're people and this is our livelihoods, but we will keep the kitchen open for takeaways but it's a shame we can't get people to eat inside."
It comes after Bobby Basran, who runs the New Merridale pub in Wolverhampton, said it would be the "great depression" for businesses – and described it as the "survival of the fittest" after lockdown is lifted.
Mr Basran, who runs the Merridale Street venue, said customers had been left disappointed due to people looking forward to having a drink in the run up to Christmas.
But he remained hopeful of reopening – and stressed the pub would reopen "when we can" and hoped it would be in December, or in January if the measures are extended.
