PUB owners across Test Valley have revealed they are raring to serve customers again in the spring as England is eased out of lockdown.
On Monday, the Prime Minister announced outdoor venues like beer gardens could open from April 12 at the earliest in a bid to free the country of coronavirus restrictions.
As part of Boris Johnson's four-stage plan, step 2 means customers will have to stay seated when they order food or drink outside.
The Government has binned the previous "substantial meal" rule, or Scotch egg rule, and scrapped the nightly curfew due to the confusion both caused.
Thirsty customers may be allowed to drink and dine inside pubs from May 17 during step 3, but visitors must stick to the rule of six or, if there are more people, two households.
The landlord of The Boot Inn in Houghton, Craig Doyle, said he was "over the moon" after the announcement, while admitting he is glad only pub gardens will be allowed to open in April.
He said: "I am raring to go and I will probably put a tent in the beer garden to help with the cover space.
"I am quite happy I won't have to worry about reopening the inside of the pub and the garden at the same time as the garden is quite big."
Craig added it would be ideal to have two weeks' notice before any Covid restrictions are lifted to make ordering stock easier, but said a week's notice was acceptable.
Martin Rickman, the husband of the landlady at The Sun Inn, Winchester Road, said they are looking to upgrade their beer garden and the front of the pub over the next six weeks in time for April.
He said: "Our garden is not huge, but we can seat about 50 people out there right now.
"Our plan is to improve our beer garden over the next six weeks and we are thinking of putting a decking area at the front of the pub to attract more people outside.
"This would probably mean we could seat up to 70 people, because everyone will still need to socially distance."
However, Martin questioned if customers will be allowed to come inside the pub to use toilets under the new rules, stressing he will not resort to putting a portaloo in the beer garden.
He said: "The rules are pretty vague and there are no instructions on if people are allowed inside to use the toilet or not.
"I am not putting a portaloo in the beer garden."
He added: "I just hope that everybody follows the instructions to the letter and we can get through this and eventually get back to being a normal pub."
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