A POPULAR takeaway chain will re-open in Worcester tomorrow after being closed for three months.

Greggs will be re-opening around 800 stores for takeaways including two in Worcester - the high street branch and the one inside the petrol garage at Nunnery Park.

The Newcastle-based business has taken a tentative approach to reopening, with management keen to avoid any rushes or overcrowding at sites following its three-month closure.

Rival chains, KFC and McDonald’s in Blackpole have seen long car queues for the drive-thru services that re-opened a fortnight ago. Non- essential retailers in the city centre also saw huge queues as they re-opened on Monday.

Greggs had been allowed to stay open throughout the lockdown, offering takeaway and delivery services.

But bosses declined, saying it felt remaining open would compromise the safety of its employees.

However, Pret-A-Manger has remained closed. The city centre coffee chain did not re-open on Monday like other similar chains such as Starbucks.

They are part of 90 restaurant franchises who have penned a letter to Boris Johnson urging him to increase financial support for the dining industry or face mass redundancies.

They wrote: “Without Government support to help restaurants to generate revenue and cover costs, tens of thousands of restaurants may be forced to permanently close their doors in the coming months.”

A recent survey by Deliveroo, which organised and signed the letter, found more than half of small and independent restaurants said they would have to close within three months without further support.

The letter added: “Unless your Government takes urgent action, shuttered restaurants in towns and cities across the country will be a permanent reminder of the damage this pandemic has done.”