London Restaurants Braced for Further Losses as Coronavirus Bites
Chinatown hardest hit as Asian tour groups and local diners stay away
As new cases of coronavirus begin to pop up in London, restaurateurs are bracing for more pain, with plans to tighten spending and cut staff hours. Restaurants have already taken a hit with many reporting business down at least 10%, with the drop surging to 50% in Chinatown.
The U.K. has confirmed more than 85 cases, though almost all of them have been outside the capital. That may be changing with cases reported in the city’s teeming financial districts. On Thursday HSBC Holdings Plc partially evacuated its London headquarters in Canary Wharf after an employee tested positive. Deloitte LLP also had a confirmed case in its offices in the City of London on March 3, the Financial Times reported.