A Paisley pub has reached out to offer opportunities to people who lost their jobs in hospitality due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gabriels, in Gauze Street, announced plans to take on extra staff when it reopens next week and wants to help those who have been left unemployed by Covid-19.
The busy bar and restaurant, which is operated by Greene King, has managed to come through a difficult four months without any job losses - but other hospitality venues have not been so lucky.
Manager Jane McCall, who has run the venue for 16 years, was shocked by the number of places that have been forced to close or drastically cut staff, and wanted to step in and help.
She told the Express: “It’s a horrible thought, knowing that there are people out there working in the same industry as us that have been left without jobs.
“These people have bills to pay and they have been left in an impossible situation, so we thought if we can help at least a few of them then we should.
“The hospitality industry has been hit so hard throughout this and we were shocked at the number of places which have been left with no choice but to either close or cut their staff.
“We have been so lucky to not have to make this hard decision, so just want to help with this small gesture.”
Jane says the response to their offer so far has been overwhelming, and they hope to have some new staff joining them once they reopen again on Monday.
Jane and her team are currently working round the clock to get the bar up and running again.
She added: “The response has been great and we have had quite a lot of people apply.
“We are currently working through all the applications to narrow it down to people who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.
Jane added: “We are opening up again on Monday. Our priority was the safety of our customers and our staff so we wanted to take the extra time.
“We made the decision to stay closed for an extra ten days to give us some more time to get the place ready. We are looking forward to welcoming people back next week.”
