Deliveroo and 300 restaurant brands call for second Eat Out to Help Out when restaurants can reopen

Deliveroo's founder Will Shu, alongside 300 restaurant brands including Itsu and Pizza Hut, has called on the government for further support including an extension of VAT and business rates relief, and for a second Eat Out to Help Out scheme when restaurants can safely reopen.

In a letter to the prime minister, the signatories, representing more than 1,400 restaurants, said that if continued support is not provided, it "risks viable businesses failing just as the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming clearer".

The letter, which was also signed by the chief executives of Azzurri Group, Rosa's Thai Cafe and Tortilla, also called for an extension of the furlough scheme until restaurants can reopen fully return to dine-in, for food industry workers to be included in the second phase of the vaccine rollout and for restaurant tenants to be protected from being evicted over rent arrears.

The letter also proposed policies for how the sector can be supported post-pandemic, including a second Eat Out to Help Out scheme; incentivising restaurants to recruit and retain staff by allowing them to take on new staff without the additional burden of National Insurance Contributions for at least six months; and the targeted relief to encourage business investment and innovation in the restaurant sector post-pandemic.

Shu said: "Deliveroo is committed to supporting our amazing restaurant partners through the pandemic. Restaurants are at the heart of our high streets and local communities and we want to play our part to help them reopen their doors when the economy opens up again.

"That is why we are calling on the government to implement this package of measures, which will be an important lifeline for small independents and high street family favourites."