No such thing as a free lunch but it is 50% off – the “Eat Out to Help Out” registration service is now live

Restaurants and other establishments serving food for on-premises consumption can now sign up to a new government initiative aimed at protecting jobs in the hospitality industry and encouraging people to safely return to dining out.

The Eat Out to Help Out registration service is now live as of 13 July on www.gov.uk, allowing businesses to join the scheme announced last week in the summer spending review.  Restaurants, bars, cafes and other establishments who use the scheme will be able to offer a 50% reduction, up to a maximum of £10 per person, to all diners who eat and/or non-alcoholic drink-in every Monday to Wednesday, between 3 and 31 August 2020, throughout the day.

It’s important to note that customers do not need a voucher in order to claim the discount as participating establishments will simply remove the discount from their bill when paying. Businesses will receive a window sticker to show they are using the scheme and can also download promotional items from GOV.UK.

Registered businesses just reclaim the discounted amount through an online service which will be available and supported by HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs). They advise that claims can be made on a weekly basis and will be paid into bank accounts within five working days.

The link to the registration system is below.

Eat out to help out registration