CHINESE restaurants have had to limit seating and maintain social distancing for customers to curb the spread of Covid-19, while private room bookings have also fallen.

Even after the government allowed tables to be seated up to capacity, operators said social-distancing requirements mean they can still only fill half the restaurant.

According to Malaysia Koo Soo Restaurants and Chefs’ Association president Wong Teu Hoon, the government said, for example, 10 customers can be seated at a 10-seat table, but diners must be at least 1m apart.

Wong said the rule is confusing and restaurants are unsure what to do.

“Most big restaurants have VIP rooms, usually containing three tables and each table can seat between 10 and 12 people.

“To adhere to the SOPs, we need to cut that number in half but how do we ensure that they maintain that 1m distance? That’s the headache,” he said.

Wong said restaurants are now only seating six at tables for 10 and eight at tables for 12.

Most restaurants are also operating on the side of caution, worried that they will be fined for failure to follow SOPs.

Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, when announcing the SOPs for restaurants, said tables can be seated to capacity but social distancing must be observed.

“For example, if a table can seat 10 people, we will not limit it to two people. Yet, we want social distancing to continue to be observed, this is a requirement,” he said.

Loon Sing Group managing director Sia Boon Kong said a VIP room with three tables can now only accommodate two tables, seating only five, which is only 10 people per room.

“Tables in the VIP room have a diameter of 8-10 ft. We used to be able to put three tables in these rooms, but now we can only use two, accommodating 16 people at most. So, business has really fallen,” Sia said.

A Chinese restaurant’s VIP room seated to full capacity can be considered a small gathering.

During the MCO, most large Chinese restaurants closed temporarily due to high overhead costs and low takeaway sales. After the government eased restrictions on May 4 and June 3, many reopened.

Sia, who is also Koo Soo Association vice-president, said business on Father’s Day this year fell by 50%.

He also complained of the seemingly different SOPs enforced by the federal government, state governments and the police respectively.

For example, Sia said, reservations increased by 70% on Father’s Day (June 21).

However, after it was reported that a family of seven were fined for eating at the same table at a restaurant, coupled with a “reminder” from a local councillor that children and the elderly should not be eating outside, 30% of the reservations were cancelled.

“Our business was affected to begin with and owners are avoiding layoffs while still maintaining operations. Now that the pandemic is getting better, we have people ‘advising’ consumers. So, us as operators, we are confused whose SOP to follow.”

Sia also said most restaurants are currently relying on loyal customers to survive as the government has not allowed banquets to proceed just yet.

Once the loan-repayment moratorium expires in October, he estimates that 2,000 restaurants will close, retrenching thousands.

“When loan repayments resume and with rents, wages and other overhead costs, coupled with a lack of business, it is difficult to survive,” he said.

Johor Bar Chefs’ Association chairman John Ang said Chinese restaurants in Johor are adhering to health and safety SOPs, such as having customers at the same table sit 1m apart.

“If a family have 10 people, we can only open two tables and treat it as two bills. We are temporarily not accepting groups of up to 20,” Ang said.

Restaurants in Johor reopened for business in stages starting May 4 but since Mother’s Day fell within the MCO, operators had hoped that business would pick up on Father’s Day with the idea that people may want to celebrate both days together.

“However, business still fell 50% for restaurants. We had more takeaway orders instead of dine-ins on Father’s Day,” Ang said.

He is hoping that the pandemic will be resolved quickly so the government will reopen the borders and Singaporean tourists can once again enter the state.

“About 40% of restaurant business in Johor Baru is from Singaporeans,” Ang said.

Selangor and Federal Territory Ku Su Choong Hung president Lum Tuck Loy said restaurants are now having more takeaway orders than dine-in customers.

“We thought we’d be getting good business on Father’s Day, but customers did not want to wait in long lines and ordered takeaways instead,” he said. – June 26, 2020.