PREZZO has announced it will be reopening 70 restaurants for outside dining from Monday.
It comes as restaurants and pubs have been given the green light to welcome back customers for outdoor service from April 12.
The remaining 82 Prezzo restaurants will open again for indoor service from May 17, when stage three of the the PM’s roadmap out of lockdown is planned to go ahead.
The branches opening next week will see customers sit in gardens, courtyards, terraces and “secret gardens”.
The Italian restaurant chain has introduced a range of measures to help keep staff and diners safe.
All menus will be disposable and customers will be encouraged to order through their smartphone or tablet by scanning the QR code on the table.
Diners can do this through the “camera” feature on their phone to bring up information on how to order your food and drinks.
Like before the lockdown, customers will be asked to scan in using the NHS Test & Trace app in line with Government guidance.
Other Covid-secure measures include social distancing markers, hand sanitisers and Public Health England posters displayed around the restaurants.
While customers will be banned from dining inside, they will be allowed to enter restaurants to use the toilets.
Prezzo is yet to confirm whether it will be offering a full menu when branches reopen, but has said fans will be able to tuck into some of the chain’s top dishes, including spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and Al Forno pasta dishes.
Raspberry sorbet, sticky toffee pudding and honeycomb smash cheesecake will be back on the menu too.
Prezzo boss Karen Jones said: “Gardens, terraces and courtyards are being prepped, preened and planted to make sure everything looks wonderful and is covid-secure.
“The teams stand ready to greet customers, and their families and friends with the biggest smiles and the warmest of welcomes.
“Tables are limited so the advice is to book early and give yourself something to look forward to.”
Customers can book a table by contacting their local branch – you can find further details using the branch locator tool.
Alternatively, the reopened restaurants will also be offering click and collect and delivery.
Prezzo closed all 152 branches in England on January 5, when the nation was plunged into another lockdown, including all takeaway services.
