Look inside Spanish City in Whitley Bay ahead of its reopening on Monday

Spanish City is reopening its doors to customers from Monday - and these pictures show what preparations are being made to keep staff and customers safe.

The landmark venue in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, will once again welcome people back, with groups of six or two households being able to drink and dine inside.

The building is being made Covid-safe and measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

These include:

• a track and trace system
• hand sanitising stations at each entry door
• Perspex safety screens in front of all till points
• Increased hand washing and sanitising for all staff
• A dedicated team cleaning throughout the day, focusing on high-traffic areas and touchpoints
• A one-way stairway and door system

Spanish City in Whitley Bay (Newcastle Chronicle)

• Tables, condiments and menus fully sanitised after each use
• Socially distanced tables with ‘clean table’ signs signifying when a table is safe to sit down at
• Floor markers and signs to remind people of social distancing and procedures
• Regular use of fogging machine to disinfect surfaces
• A large air handling system that filters and circulates fresh air
• Rapid testing kits available to all staff, who are being encouraged to test at least twice a week

Around 300 afternoon teas have already been booked at Spanish City for the first week of reopening and the 1910 restaurant has been fully booked for the first two weekends.

The venue is also planning a summer of events, including tribute nights and Bingo Bonkaz.

And live music will be heard at the building, with a pianist in the Trenchers restaurant on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a singer in The Champagne Bar on Saturday evenings and a jazz band playing across the venues on Sundays.

Spanish City prepares to open in a Covid-safe way. Louisa Clayton sanitising the venue's interior. (Newcastle Chronicle)

Weddings and other celebrations with up to 30 people can also take place from Monday.

Manager Chris Marsh said: "We couldn’t be more excited to invite our customers back inside the dome to dine with us again.

"Spanish City was redeveloped to breathe life back into a beautiful and iconic building, but it is nothing without the sounds of people enjoying special moments with friends and family.

"Our usual high standard of Covid protocols will still be in place, so customers can feel confident that they’ll be safe when they visit."

Those wishing to dine at Spanish City can book here.