A LATE night pub that was forced to temporarily close after the 10pm curfew restrictions were implemented has bounced back.

The Half Moon pub on St Clements is famous for being a late-night venue, but today, for the first time, it will open at lunchtime.

After lockdown restrictions were lifted on July 4, landlords Cassie and Johnnie Fisher decided to keep the pub a strictly late night venue by opening between 10.30pm and 2am, but the Government enforced pub curfew ‘destroyed’ this idea immediately.

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Mrs Fisher said: “Before Covid we opened here normally from 6pm to 2am.

“Then when we were looking to reopen we decided to open from 10.30pm to 2am.

“Normally that is our busiest time anyway, so we thought - just as a way to keep things reasonable in an uncertain world - that would be a safer option.

Oxford Mail:

“That was working for a little while, then the curfew came in and that destroyed that side of things.”

When the curfew was implemented on September 24, The Half Moon was forced to temporarily shut completely while the couple worked out a new plan.

Now it will reopen at lunchtime today with a whole new business model.

Read here: The Oxford pub closing its doors forever

Mrs Fisher added: “We are doing something that hasn’t really been heard of for The Half Moon: it is a very old pub and has always been known for its night-time trade.

“Now we are trying to really swivel this place to the opposite, which is to create a day trade and we are doing this in a few different ways.

“We are planning to open from 12pm every day until 10pm - when the curfew hits -which is quite unheard of for this place."

Oxford Mail:

Mrs Fisher also said that Greene King – whom they lease the building from – had been helpful.

She said: "Greene King has been really supportive and we have been able to offer some really good drink deals, so we are going to be doing a happy hour from 12pm to 6pm, and we will also be doing a student discount.

“We are also going to be boosting out wifi band.

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“Normally we are a no-phones, no laptop, social only pub, but you know, especially with people working from home at the minute, I think every one is getting sick of the same four walls, and so it’ll be a nice alternative for people to come here with their laptop, do a few hours' work, have a pint, don’t have a pint, we’ve got a great selection of soft drinks as well.

“We just want to be like an open house in this time where people need safe support and safe socials.

“There are people who do need this kind of social interaction and we want to do it in the safest way possible.

“It is a tricky one. We are a no beer garden, no function room, and no kitchen pub. So we are a wet-led pub and as you can see across the industry, this has been the hardest hit in terms of what we have been able to do.

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“It’s a tricky place to adapt because it has such a reputation of being a night pub so trying to change people’s perception of that and show that we can provide more in these crazy times.

“It’s going to be a challenge but we are definitely up for it.

“We have a fantastic community here, you know we’ve got regulars, we’ve got students who have come back who love this place, it has a real place in people’s hearts.

“The support we have had from the community has been fantastic, and they’re ready to step in and see what we can do, so we’re really excited to see how it goes.”

Customers can book in advance via email.