Coronavirus: Are KFC, Burger King and Pret re-opening and what NHS discounts are on offer?

Last month, thousands of restaurants across the UK closed their doors to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

On 23 March, Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown meaning people across the country had to eat at home.

But as we approach May, social distancing measures appear to have begun flattening the curve of new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

And although the lockdown is not yet ready to be lifted, some major chain restaurants have started to reopen for delivery only.

Here’s a list of some restaurants that have started serving again and those offering discounts to key workers.

KFC has announced it is reopening a further 80 outlets for delivery only during lockdown.

The fast food chain said it will open the additional restaurants this week. By Monday 4 May, the total number of KFC restaurants opened will be 100, out of 900 nationwide.

In a statement on 28 April, a spokesperson for the US-owned chain said it was taking additional steps to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

“We are doing this responsibly and carefully, with stringent processes and hygiene measures put in place,” the spokesperson added.

“All our restaurants will continue serving a limited menu to help the smaller kitchen teams maintain social distancing.”

KFC said it would use its reopened sites to continue donating food to NHS staff and key workers.

It says it will provide these workers with 10,00 meals per week to be delivered by its partner and delivery service Deliveroo.

Burger King has reopened four restaurants for delivery until the end of the Covid-19 lockdown.

These are: Bath Road and Eastgate in Bristol, Central 6 Retail Park, Coventry, and Queen's Drive, Swindon.

Katie Evans, Burger King marketing director, said the chain hopes to open more sites in the near future in a bid to lift customers’ spirits “in these difficult times”.

Staff at Burger King will wear masks and gloves and will be trained in running delivery-only kitchens hygienically, a spokesperson for the chain said.

There will be stringent cleaning measures, and staff will get social distancing training.

Burger King said it will donate 1,000 meals per week to staff working at NHS hospitals near to the sites that have reopened.

“We want to demonstrate how appreciative everyone at Burger King UK is of [NHS staff] efforts in these unprecedented times,” Ms Evans added.

Pret a Manger temporarily closed all it stores of 21 March ahead of the UK’s nationwide lockdown in a bid to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

The chain today announced that it has reopened 10 stores near to hospitals in London for delivery and takeaway.

Pret CEO Pano Christou said in a statement: “I wanted to thank you for sticking with us through this crisis and while we have been closed.

“We are incredibly grateful that 160 Team Members have volunteered to help reopen 10 shops in London, located close to hospitals.”

He added: “These shops will open tomorrow for takeaway and delivery only, offering a reduced range of Pret favourites, as well as a selection of essentials like milk, bread and butter.”

Pret says it has already donated 477,000 food items to 138 of its charity partners and 40 hospitals across the UK since the lockdown began on 21 March.

Mr Christou said that the chain would be offering a 50 per cent discount to NHS workers until the end of April.

Pret has also pledged to donate an additional 7,000 meals per week to its charity partners, including The Felix Project, a London-based charity that distributes surplus meals from the food industry to charities and schools.

On 20 April, Nandos announced that it is reopening seven of its sites across London, Manchester and Dublin after shutting all its restaurants on 23 March.

The restaurants will only be open to cook food for NHS workers and volunteers helping in the charity sector.

They are not open for delivery or takeaway service to the general public,

So far, Nandos says it has donated almost 20,000 free meals to NHS workers and is looking to keep up food drops across its reopened sites.

The chain plans to donate up to 250 meals per day to hospitals near the reopened sites.

"Food will be dropped off directly at hospitals every evening between 6 and 9pm and each restaurant will work under strict health and safety measures while maintaining social distancing," the spokesperson added.