London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Business owners 'in tears' over cafe status

Business owners 'in tears' over cafe status

Business owners desperate to stay open have been reduced to tears over the definition of cafes by the Scottish government.

New Covid restrictions went live at 18:00 on Friday, resulting in the closure of pubs and restaurants in the central belt until at least 25 October.

The one exception is for cafes which can open during the day.

A last-minute scramble for legal advice has seen businesses try to fit the definition.

Stephen McGowan is a licensing solicitor at TLT in Glasgow. He told BBC Scotland his phone was "red hot" with clients on Friday afternoon asking how they fitted into the definition.

He said: "The definition Nicola Sturgeon gave puts us in a better place than before with something to work with but it is still open to interpretation.

"There has been disappointment for thousands of businesses who thought they had the opportunity to stay open."

'Not near enough'


He added: "Some clients fit the definition or are close enough to it that I am comfortable with them opening and some I have had to say sorry, but I don't think you are near enough.

"I have had tears on the phone and it has been difficult listening to operators I have known for years."

He said the first minister specifically saying two key things is what shut down many of their hopes: anyone confused about whether they are a cafe or not should close while they seek clarification, and that the regulations are not intended to allow bars and restaurants to convert into cafes.

What actually counts as a cafe?


The big question is which businesses can remain open as cafes? The Scottish government definition is this:

"An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non-alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals."

But Nicola Sturgeon said more about what it was not than what it was. She said restaurants and bars could not convert themselves into cafes in a bid to stay open.

She said the business may or may not have a licence to sell alcohol, but they must not sell it while they are open.

And she said if there is any doubt about whether a business is a cafe or not, it should have closed at 18:00 on Friday and remain closed while seeking clarification from the local authority.

Paul Waterson from the Scottish Licence Trade Association (SLTA) says the situation was no clearer than it was on Thursday.

He said: "There is one licence for all premises who sell alcohol and there is no differentiation between restaurants, pubs, bars and so on. This explanation has caused more questions than answers.

"When does a restaurant become a cafe? When does a pub become a restaurant? When does a bar become a pub? It's a ridiculous situation. "

And then to say the reason cafes can open is to allow social interaction between people when we are closed to stop social interaction beggars belief. People are asking us what a licensed cafe is."

Mr Waterson said he would not want to see owners breaking the rules, but said: "It is very difficult when businesses are in real trouble to get them to conform to situations.

"If your business is under threat you will do everything you can to save it.

"What are we going to tell these people whose businesses are ready to close and they won't get through the next two weeks?"

'Mental health impact'


James Withers of trade body Scotland Food & Drink, said: "Many cafes, restaurants and eateries in central Scotland have spent Friday trying to work out if they have to close for 16 days.

"It has been a nightmare for them trying to interpret new regulations, coming out just hours before a potential closure, whilst they are trying to manage their staff rotas and the ordering or cancellation of supplies. I genuinely worry about the mental health impact of the last few days."

Tighter restrictions will also come into force in the rest of the country with licensed premises unable to serve alcohol indoors and operating limited opening hours.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×