IN a moment of serendipity, a party for the fiftieth anniversary of the Ubiquitous Chip took place on the same day this week as the announcement that wearing masks in indoor public spaces will no longer be a legal requirement from March 21. 

Face coverings will be strongly recommended in public spaces beyond that date, yet the rule change brought a sense of relief that could be celebrated by hospitality friends in one of Glasgow’s longest established restaurants. 
The culinary landmark was opened in January 1971, so the anniversary is overdue. They were waiting for better days. 

The scenes of a spirited get-together in the West End now contrast sharply with the eerily quiet Ashton Lane at the height of lockdown and memories of the poignant mural of an NHS nurse on the wall of the restaurant from the times when neighbours used to gather by the window to clap for frontline workers. 

I’ve written this column for all but two weeks of the pandemic, navigating through moments of optimism, grim reality, local tales of resilience and shared endeavour. There have been points when Glasgow has been a hidden city with little discernible sign of its own character.

This week we move forward, with the prospect of more family parties, friendly café chats and football matches. Gigs at the Barrowlands and Glasgow Green. Late nights on Bath Street. Dancing on Sauchiehall Street. Winching at the bar, chips and cheese, singing on the late bus home.   
Hospitality and the night-time economy will have a more familiar face.

Yet the pandemic has left its mark. Businesses have closed or have yet to return – there’s still no date for Rogano opening and we are currently without Alchemilla, one of the city’s best restaurants of the last decade. Change is here. New food and drink openings arrive at a ferocious pace – if you stand still long enough on the Southside at the moment, someone will try to turn you into a bakery. 

As we begin to enjoy a more sociable existence, things will feel more normal, yet there will be lingering shifts in how we approach food and drink. Here are some ways the pandemic has changed restaurants. 

Restaurants are done with no-shows

Life is unpredictable and Glasgow diners have had a notoriously casual attitude to adhering to reservations. 

Now local restaurants have been through the emotional wringer of the pandemic, they have a low tolerance for being ghosted. Each place will take its own approach but the days of breezily wandering into your neighbourhood favourite after abandoning a booking for a table of four the previous weekend are over. You will be noticed and judged. Phone ahead if you can’t make it. 

Spontaneity may take a while 

While the logistics of turning up for reservations have been tricky for some, the hangover from the period when booking a table was government-mandated is that the organised among us are continuing to secure the best tables in town well in advance. 

Fancy a few casual pints on a Saturday and then just finding somewhere nearby for dinner? Good luck with that. It’s a challenge for customers and for venues. Turning tables and being able to accommodate guests is the basis of hospitality. A fully booked floor chart may be reassuring in the current climate, but it brings diminishing returns, especially if you are supposed to be a bar. Random nights out are possible, but there may be a bit of advance planning required. 

Outdoor dining will continue 

The genie is out of the bottle for outdoor dining and beer gardens. 
The draconian approach to shared use of public space won’t cut it in Glasgow after what we have seen during the pandemic. There should be more cafes and street food areas. I like the conversion of parking bays into seating that we have seen approved by the council, I just wish the design wasn’t so ugly and the passing traffic wasn’t so close. Expect more pedestrianisation. 

The absurdity of Glasgow’s drinking in public laws compared to other European cities will also become increasingly obvious. Wine in the park is not much to ask for after two years stuck in a tenement. 

Dark kitchens and delivery cyclists 

It was perfectly obvious before the pandemic that the influx of delivery apps and the gig economy were reshaping Glasgow takeaways. 

Now we have a situation where Friday nights bring a torrent of cyclists, rampaging through the city with packaged food and drink. 

The convenience aspect is fantastic, yet there’s something soulless about a city that turns increasingly insular and reclusive with its approach to shared meals. 

We will see more dark kitchens with restaurant brands that exist only from food preparation hubs that supply the sub-contractor army of delivery bikes. 

This creates opportunities for new business but it is a disruptive element in the local hospitality ecosystem. Empty restaurants follow. 
Enjoy your Netflix delivery dinner in your pyjamas but remember you will never get the same experience as you do sitting in a buzzing restaurant at the peak of its powers.  

Dine at home boxes

They are still a thing. Pre-prepared cocktail deliveries also. You can pretend to be a top chef and mixologist on date night for the foreseeable future if you want to pay the fee and diligently follow the cue cards in the kitchen. 

The regular table 

People remember the places they really valued during the last two years. A neighbourhood spot that kept everyone going. 

The one that you would make a point of visiting, even if it was just for a coffee and a chat. Culinary friends for life now, we will continue to visit. 

Set menus and fewer dishes 

In the era of inflation, Brexit complications, sustainability issues and the general hassle of life, who has time for a long expansive menu anymore?

Chain restaurants maybe, but even they are seeing sense and being succinct in their options. Expect tightly written, short menus that respond more to what’s in season and available at a fair price. You’ll probably have to scan a QR code to read them. That’s not going away either. 

In a broader sense, diners are going to be clearer on what they want and will be prepared to walk if the restaurant can’t respond to their dietary requirements. Flexible dining is the future, and hopefully, there will be a better work-life balance for hospitality staff. Continue to be kind to them, it’s been a long couple of years.