Frank’s Bar - Running a Cafe Bar In A Pandemic Age

Frank's Bar! It's a special place isn't it, in the heart of The Lanes. Delicious food and drink, good vibes and great music. But how did they survive a pandemic? We spoke to James about how they managed it and what's next on the cards.

What was your expectation when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020?

To be honest we didn’t have too many expectations at the time as there were so many unknowns. It was a case of coping with the immediate situation as best we could, trying our best to look out for our business, staff, customers and waiting to see how things evolved. At the very least we knew that we certainly weren’t the only ones going through it!

I believe when the tier system was introduced you had a dilemma on when your premises was a restaurant/café and when it was a bar?

That was very tricky. When we re-opened again in December we had re-designed our menu and operating times based on what we had been told; alcoholic drinks could only be served with substantial food, or customers could have cake or a bite to eat with a cuppa (but no alcohol). We had zoom meetings with our team and got everyone up to speed on how we were going to approach this in the best way that we could, updated our website and social media, donned our masks and went for it. The evening of our first night of service some Covid Officers turned up and informed us that they had received new information in the early hours of the morning and that we could only operate as either a cafe (no alcohol) or a restaurant; where every single customer needs to have a substantial meal, even if they’re only popping in for a coffee. This was somewhat of a headache! We had to overhaul everything, again, change our operating hours, menus, website and brief the team on the new rules. Two weeks later we had another visit from the Covid Officers and thankfully there had been some change of policy and we were once again allowed to operate as both a cafe and a restaurant. Well nobody can say it’s been dull.

How did you find operating during the tier system

Operating under the different tiers has been very challenging. We’ve had to make some big changes, that have not been great for business, like reducing our capacity by half, but our main focus has been on keeping the staff and customers as safe as we can. The transition from serving cocktails to a packed bar at 2.00am to having everyone out and closing by 10.00pm hasn’t been easy. We’re very thankful that due to the nature of Frank's Bar, we also have lots of lovely customers who come in the daytime for a cuppa, cake or meals as well.

In what ways has the pandemic affected your thinking on your business?

It has made us appreciative that because we are a small, independent business, we have the ability to change quickly when needed, and adapt as best we can. We are so thankful to the support we’ve had from customers when we’ve tried out something new like our online shop or takeaway service, it has reminded us that even after thirteen years we can always try something a bit different.

How have your staff have coped and what have they been doing to help support and maintain the business during the lockdowns?

We are blessed with a fantastic team who have been incredible at adapting to the ever-changing situations. We’ve been staying in touch online from the inevitable (and sometimes not entirely sober) Zoom quizzes to WhatsApp groups and we’re really thankful for how supportive they have all been. Everyone has been having their own version of lockdown, some more difficult than others, but they’ve all been fantastic.

What, if any, positives have you found coming out of the pandemic?

It has been a positive seeing support in the community - I think people have really been looking out for each other, even if’s just a check-in by text.We’ve also been reminded how great it is to be near so many other great businesses in the Lanes, the support and encouragement that we had for our outdoor seating on Bedford Street from Dogfish, Fairhurst Gallery, Oriental Rugs and others has been fantastic.

What do you think you will change as a result of the pandemic experience?

I feel like a lot will change, but if the last year has taught us anything, it’s surely that speculation is tricky! I’m sure that the simple act of seeing someone for a coffee or a pint will be cherished bit more than it was before!

Looking forward what are your hopes and expectations?

At this point a year ago we had no idea how things were going to unfold. We are thankful that we’re still here, still planning for the future, and sometimes tentatively, we’re feeling positive.

Will your garden be open on 12th April? Will you be offering a take away service from 12th April

We have a lovely but small garden, we have also been able to place tables and chairs out on Bedford Street throughout last Summer and will be resuming this when the weather improves. We can’t wait to re-open but with such limited, weather-dependant space, we will be waiting a little longer before opening up our outdoor options.From Monday 29th March we will be offering teas, coffees and, more importantly, cake to takeaway throughout the Easter holidays (Monday-Saturday, 10.30-2.00).

Norwich has a strong independent business scene, do you think this is going to help in the recovery?

I really believe this will be a strength for Norwich’s recovery, particularly in the Norwich Lanes area. I think people are eager to support local businesses, and that support is going to be essential in the coming year.

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

We can’t wait to see you again!