A Fife cafe owner has had to warn staff to prepare for a two week closure.
Like hospitality venues across the country, Sands A Place By The Sea in Aberdour lost out on vital revenue over the summer break and now faces the possibility of the Scottish Government imposing further restrictions over the October break.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce new restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on Wednesday.
And the closure of cafes, restaurants and pubs has not been ruled out.
Nova Gamble, who runs Sands with her husband Ervin, said: “It will have a massive impact on us if it happens.
“We missed the summer holidays – that’s when we earn our money to get us through the winter months.
“Really, the October break would be our last chance to earn money before winter sets in.
“I can see it coming. It’s a worry but realistically I have to tell staff now to prepare for closing at the end of the week.”
With November and December usually quiet months for the cafe, Nova said she was trying to minimise the impact of any potential closure.
“Last time, we lost thousands of pounds worth of stock, which was wasted. Now it’s about damage limitation,” she said.
As a result of social distancing guidelines, Sands is operating at nearly half its usual capacity. On top of that, the owners have spent around £2,000 on protective screens, £600 on signage and had further outlays to meet health and safety requirements.
Nova said: “We’re going to run at a loss this year. If it carries on just this year, and I hope it’s just this year, we will manage to scrape by.”
With a generous outdoor seating area and situated right next to the Silver Sands Beach, the cafe has become a popular destination for visitors.
Nova and Ervin said the location was a key factor in the survival of the business.
“We’re fortunate that we have an outside area, and I’m hoping our location will carry us through this,” said Nova.
Ervin added: “Nobody wants to sit inside now. Before, when it was a little bit cold, customers would want to be inside but now they all want to be outside.
“But we’re fortunate because we’re a destination and our location helps us out.
“If we’d been on the High Street, I think the future would have looked very bleak.”
