Diageo, maker of GUINNESS, launches $100 million Recovery Fund to help pubs and bars welcome back customers after coronavirus lockdown

The UN’s International Labour Organization has forecast that 436 million enterprises worldwide face serious disruption and one in six young people will be unemployed due to COVID-19. The hospitality sector will be one of the hardest hit, as pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants provide hundreds of millions of jobs for many full and part-time workers.

The impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector has been widespread, with the closure of venues the world over. As governments begin to ease lockdown measures, the public want to come together again to connect with their community and socialize safely. To help pubs and bars welcome back customers following the COVID-19 pandemic, Diageo, maker of GUINNESS, today announced the launch of a new global program called “Raising the Bar.”

By providing access to free digital support, technology, training and equipment, Diageo aims to help bars open their doors again. According to the announcement, “Raising the Bar” will be a two-year program available from July 2020. Through “Raising the Bar”, Diageo will provide $100 million to support the recovery of major hospitality centres, including: New York, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Sydney and beyond. This $100 million programme includes the $20 million Community Fund announced in the United States on 12 June 2020.

Diageo plc is a British multinational beverage alcohol company formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness Brewery and Grand Metropolitan. They operate in more than 180 countries and produce in more than 140 sites around the world. It was the world’s largest distiller until being overtaken by China’s Kweichow Moutai on 9 April 2017.

Diageo designed the “Raising the Bar” program following a global survey of bar owners to identify what they need to reopen after lockdown. Their top priorities include hygiene measures, digital support and practical equipment to transform how their outlets will work.

The “Raising the Bar” program will provide targeted support to help pay for the physical equipment needed for outlets to re-open. For example, in the UK, Diageo will provide initial funding for: ‘hygiene kits’ with high-quality permanent sanitiser dispense units, medical grade hand sanitizer and a range of personal protection equipment (such as masks and gloves); help to pubs and bars to establish partnerships with online reservations and cashless systems; mobile bars and outdoor equipment.

From 24 June 2020, bar owners will be able to register their interest for the “Raising the Bar” program via www.diageobaracademy.com globally and www.mydiageo.com in the UK and Ireland. Bar owners will receive regular updates on best practice training and resources and be able to participate in global surveys to share insights, as they build back their businesses.

Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive of Diageo commented: “Pubs and bars sit at the heart of every community. We have launched “Raising the Bar” as so many outlets have been impacted by this crisis and badly need help to open their doors again.'”

“We are calling on governments around the world to provide long-term recovery packages to help the hospitality sector. These businesses play an essential role in bringing people together to socialise and celebrate – something that we have all missed so much during this terrible crisis – and sustain hundreds of millions of jobs, which provide a first foot on the employment ladder for young people.”