Many motorbikes are seen at a coffee shop
Some eateries have provided food on the spot stealthily while others have served openly. Most people expected to sell normally like before when the city has eased the social distancing mandate.
Yesterday, many restaurants and coffee shops in districts Go Vap, Tan Binh and Binh Thanh were seen to serve food and drinks to customers on the spot. Most of these shops are located in small alleys and residential areas. In streets Thong Nhat and Nguyen Van Luong in Go Vap District, many eateries were bustling with eaters.
An owner of a noodle shop in street No.8 in Go Vap District revealed the local authority has not allowed selling to customers in the eatery but because scores of regular customers wanted to eat at the place, so restaurants have had no choice but secretly served them at the place.
Meanwhile, many pubs have opened their doors for on-campus service openly. For instance, diners without face masks gathered at a pub on Hoang Sa Street in District 1. Guests of the pub R. in Phan Van Tri Street in Binh Thanh District drank beer clinking glasses and chatting noisily. Similarly, ten men and women drank beer at a beer pub C.B. in Pham Van Dong Street in Binh Thanh District.
In addition to violations of some eateries, others still adhere to the regulation. They have just provided food delivery service for customers; however, eatery owners all expected on-campus food service. Manager of a pub in Le Loi Street Huy Hung said that because a few customers ordered food delivery service, he decided to shutter the eatery again after a three-day operation.
Another man who runs a coffee shop in Le Quang Dinh Street in Go Vap District said it is partly because of fear for punishment and disease transmission, he has not opened the shop but he expected the government to allow on-campus food service. He disclosed that he still must pay monthly eatery rent.
Regarding allowing restaurants to serve on-site food service, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade has just submitted its Official Letter 4649 to the municipal People's Committee on the operation of food service businesses.
Accordingly, the Department of Industry and Trade asked for permission to let restaurants and eateries serve customers on-site provided that these establishments ought to meet the safety requirements for epidemic prevention and control of the health sector and the set of criteria for assessing the safety of anti-epidemic activities at food service establishments and shops.
Restaurants will be allowed to operate until 21:00 with a maximum service capacity of 50 percent. Moreover, no more than two people sit at one table and the distance between the tables is at least 2m. Moreover, food service areas will be limiting their seating arrangements to comply with the new regulations,
Currently, all food and beverage businesses in Ho Chi Minh City can only sell take-out after the city lifted lockdown on October 1. However, it can’t meet the demand of diners who want to eat at the eatery.
