HUNDREDS of pubs, cafes and restaurants have welcomed customers back inside for the first time this year.
Hospitality services are once again allowed to welcome customers back through their doors to enjoy a pint or a slap-up meal, as indoor dining returns.
It is part of a nationwide loosening of Covid-19 restrictions, but rules around wearing a mask and social distancing are still in place.
Many hospitality workers are thrilled to see the return of indoor dining.
Vic Flowerdew, a barista at Small Batch Coffee in Church Road, Hove said: “I’m looking forward to the social aspect coming back and tending to people.
"It is a bit like being on stage and it’ll be great to have people back from that point of view.”
Before today, people could only visit hospitality services if they had outdoor seating.
For many businesses, being able to serve customers inside again is a signal that things are finally returning to normalise.
Andre Pienaar, general manager at seafood restaurant English's of Brighton in East Street, said: "We are very excited to be back up and running and getting closer to normal.
"There is still some nervousness with people booking outside but with this weather it is good to have the option of indoors."
Some pubs in the city are using rules from previous lockdowns as a blueprint for keeping their customers safe this time around.
Natasha Gatward, supervisor at The Temple Bar in Western Road, Hove said she is looking forward to being able to offer customers a dry seat indoors.
She told The Argus: "It will be good to have somewhat normal atmosphere. It has been weird to feel swarmed but also separate to people in the last few months.
"We are using last times restrictions as a template, so bums on seats and masks on when people are stood up, as we are still in the teething stage."
John Pimmir, who works in Kooks Restaurant in Gardner Street, Brighton echoed these sentiments.
He said: "It is brilliant, it is nice to feel the vibe of having people back inside.
“After the weather last week, bringing people inside helps business massively."
For many revellers, the prospect of being able to enjoy a pint under a roof is very welcome after enduring more than a month of drizzled-on drinks.
One pub goer who visited The Cliftonville Inn Wetherspoons in George Street, Hove said: “It is nice to be back in the warm after the weather last week.
“I just like being able to sit down inside with my old man and enjoy ourselves”
For people working from home, cafes are now a viable option for people wanting to escape their home office.
Izzy Bros, a mental health care worker, student and café lover said she could not wait to return to her favourite coffee shop.
She said: “I love the vibes of coffee shops. I can take my laptop and work while watching the world go by despite the British weather.”
The final stage of lockdown easing is expected on June 21, where all remaining restrictions are set to be lifted.
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