The Eat Out to Help Out posters to look out for in restaurants to get 50% off
DINERS should easily be able to spot which restaurants are taking part in the government's new up to 50 per cent off scheme with posters that will be placed in windows and on tables.
The "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme was revealed last week in chancellor Rishi Sunak's mini-Budget.
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Under the initiative, the government will cover half of the cost of meals out, up to £10 a head, including children's meals and non-alcoholic drinks.
It means an £80 meal out for a family of four will be reduced to £40, while a £100 meal out for a family of four will fall to £60, for example.
The scheme will apply to food orders - but not takeaways - placed Monday through to Wednesday next month, kicking off on August 3 and running until August 31.
Chains including Nando's and Pizza Hut have already signed up, but to help you spot participating restaurants the government has launched new posters to go in windows, on walls and to be placed on restaurant tables.
The posters feature the brightly coloured Eat Out to Help Out logo, and state that you can get up to £10 per person off meals from Monday to Wednesday.
They also state: "Welcome back - we've missed you! Come in, relax and enjoy up to £10 off food and non-alcoholic drinks per person."
Two of the posters feature restaurant workers while the third sits on a plain blue background with red and white colours incorporated into the logo.
At the bottom of the poster there's an asterisk explaining terms and conditions apply.
How will the Eat Out to Help Out scheme work?
THE government will cover half of the cost of a meal out, up to £10 a head, including children's meals.
The discount means that a meal out for one that costs £20 will be reduced to £10, but a £25 meal for one will be slashed to £15 because of the £10 cap per person.
There is no limit to the number of times you can use the discount, so in theory you can get half price meals on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August.
Businesses will need to register with the scheme on Gov.uk before being able to offer the discount, as well as be Food Standards Agency approved.
Instead of issuing discount vouchers - which the government felt increased the risk of fraud - restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to claim back the cash.
The refund will then been transferred into restaurants, cafes and pubs' bank accounts within five working days.
Customers will only receive the discount if they eat out at a registered business.
A fourth "table talker" poster adds: "This covers all food and non-alcoholic drinks. Everyone gets the discount – including children. And you can come back as many times as you like.
"The discount works with other special offers or vouchers too. Always follow Covid-19 secure guidelines."
In addition, the government has created a range of similar looking digital posters for restaurants to share online and in social media posts.
All of these are free for restaurants, cafes and bars to use.
There’s no limit to the number of times diners can use the offer and they don’t need to produce a voucher as restaurants will automatically cut bills.
Just bear in mind you can't get a discount for someone with you who isn't eating or drinking.
more on food
An online tool will also be launched by the government so people can easily search for eligible restaurants.
Here are the 13 Eat Out to Help Out rules you need to know.
Consumers should also benefit from a six-month VAT cut taking force this Wednesday (July 15) for businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors.