Jonathan Downey - The End Of Milk And Honey: One Restauranteur’s Apocryphal Tale Of How Lockdown Killed His Business

Restaurant Marketer And Innovator

Jonathan Downey is a former corporate lawyer turned restaurateur and bar owner who is regarded as one of the most influential people in the hospitality industry in the capital.

Jonathan has gone on to open 20 venues across the world, and is one of the minds behind the renowned Street Feast food market in East London.

Since the government issued a 10pm curfew on bars and pubs across England, however, he has been forced to close the doors of his famous Milk and Honey London in Soho, one of the best-loved bars in the area after 18 years of business.

He has been an advocate for keeping pubs and restaurants alive in London, as it was estimated that back in May more than 30,000 pubs and restaurants may remain permanently closed because of lockdown.

Jonathan has also lobbied for a pause to rent payments to mitigate the losses caused due to this pandemic.

Watch as we sit down with Jonathan Downey to discuss the curfew, rent and landlords, mass closures, the economy, and what’s next for the hospitality industry in London.