Before the pandemic hit, it was trading strongly thanks to loyal customers and Edinburgh’s throngs of summer visitors.
There’s a “cliff edge” at the end of June for many restaurants, he points out, because after that point landlords can demand unpaid rents again, as the rules to support the sector are lifted.
The new restaurants are all either waterside or market-square sites, most with outdoor spaces, that he thinks will appeal to customers post-Covid.
“I don’t think overall the trend for people to eat out more is going to be damaged in the medium term,” he says.