Pub giant JD Wetherspoon has revealed its roadmap to reopening branches next month - with a seven-point plan to get 900 outlets trading again from April 12.
The UK's largest pub chain, which is owned by Tim Martin, said guests will be able to drink and dine in beer gardens from April, although a limited menu will be in place alongside reduced trading times.
Around 394 branches will reopen from 9am until 9pm from Sunday to Thursday, and from 9am until 10pm on Friday to Saturday from mid-April, the company said.
Wetherspoon chiefs said while indoor areas will remain closed to the public - in line with government guidance - customers will be allowed inside to use restrooms or if it is the only way to reach the outdoor area.
In and out routes will be marked for those customers entering and leaving the pub, while test and trace will be in operation - with customers asked to scan their location upon entry.
The chain, which runs almost 900 pubs across the UK and Ireland, will encourage customers to use its app to place orders, though customers can still pay via a member of staff.
The menu will still include breakfast options, burgers, pizzas, fish and chips and weekday specials - but some items will be temporarily removed.
However bosses said the biggest difference to their rivals will be that customers will not be able to book a table ahead of their visit.
Wetherspoon will instead operate a first-come-first serve policy, as was the case last summer.
The decision comes after Hospitality trade leaders this week announced plans to take court action over the government’s 'irrational' decision to restrict pubs and cafés to outdoor opening only from April 12 while allowing non-essential shops to reopen to customers.
Hugh Osmond, founder of Punch Taverns, and Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, argue pubs should be allowed to open before shops.
Osmond, a former director of Pizza Express, has written to the Prime Minister saying there was "no evidence or justification" for prioritising the shops over hospitality.
He said yesterday that was because the range of Covid-safety measures put in place by the hospitality trade meant "the risk of transmission is plainly higher in non-essential shops".
Osmond warned of job cuts, adding that "the cost of lockdown to the hospitality industry is £200 million a day".
He said: "This legal case will give a fighting chance to over three million people who work in hospitality and to the tens of thousands of businesses, suppliers, landlords and contractors large and small forced into bankruptcy."
The Government has until Wednesday to respond to the legal challenge.
It comes as rival boozer Mitchells and Butlers slammed the Government's decision to keep pubs closed until April 12, describing the evidence behind the decision as 'flimsy'.
The company, which also runs All Bar One and Harvester, criticised the Government's roadmap.
A spokesperson said: "The evidence to support the delay of indoor re-opening appears very flimsy, and as such the Government's roadmap out of lockdown seems to unfairly penalise the hospitality sector."
However, the chain also said it plans to open up to 300 pubs in England on April 12.
From March 29, outdoor gatherings of up to six people or a larger group from up to two households will be allowed, with pubs given the go ahead to welcome visitors outdoors from April 12.
Any visits to a pub or restaurant, however, will have to comply with the rules on social contact, so no more than two households or the rule of six.
It is at this point that the Government's stay at home guidance will end, with a new "stay local" message to follow.
On this date, non-essential retail will be allowed to reopen as well as libraries, hairdressers, beauty salons and gyms.
Other hospitality venues and outdoor attractions such as theme parks will also reopen - but with restrictions.
Pubs and restaurants will be able to reopen but at this point they will only be able to have customers outdoors.
Greene King earlier this week announced plans to reopen 442 managed pubs outdoors in England from April 12.
Unlike Wetherspoon, customers will be able to book a garden table online from March 26.
However people will also be able to visit the pub outdoors without an advance booking.
A Greene King spokesperson said: “Sadly, we can only open around a third of our estate in April where we have outdoor space that will work and have a chance of being viable, but we know the vital role pubs play in communities and feel it's important to open as many as we can to help people get back together once again.”
