With over 5,000 square feet to host guests, Pier 1 in Montego Bay has made staff and guest safety their number one priority.

According to Paula Bullings, marketing manager, it was their responsibility to follow Government guidelines to help flatten the COVID-19 curve.

“For Pier 1, surviving was a matter of putting the safety of both our staff and customers before profits and numbers. As such, we have had absolutely no regrets in our temporary closure to facilitate this.

“Complying with the requests of our Government to assist in flattening the curve of COVID-19 was us playing our part as Jamaicans. We have actually embraced the new guidelines. After all, our property (dining alone) consists of approximately 5,000 square feet and as such, we have taken the time to properly rework our floor plan to match the directives ,” explained Bullings.

She further noted that she is aware that COVID-19 is easily spread in enclosed spaces, so she is grateful that the dining area is held in an outdoor atmosphere which slows down transmission. In addition, the restaurant offers curbside service to stem the flow of traffic.

“Fortunately for us, our dining experience is one that is held in an outdoor atmosphere which allows for consistent natural ventilation. We also have curbside services which alleviates the flow of customers throughout the dining process,” conveyed Bullings.

She informed Sunday Finance that their losses were significant, similar to other companies which were required to closed due to COVID-19.

“Like other companies, we too had losses stemming for approximately three months and as expected with closure is 100 per cent.

“Moving forward, we intend on continuing to execute all safety standards provided by the Government/ health ministry. Ensuring that we not only educate and equip our staff accordingly, but also put these guidelines to work”, Bullings expressed.