Guide · Updated 6 November 2026
Martyn's Law for restaurants, bars and cafés
Short answer: food and drink premises are covered by Martyn's Law. If you can reasonably expect 200 or more people on your premises at the same time, including staff, you will be in the Standard Tier once the law comes into force, expected in spring 2027.
Counting your number
Restaurants often assume they are too small. Count everyone you can reasonably expect at your busiest, at least occasionally:
- every cover, including a full private dining room or upstairs function space
- people waiting at the bar or in a queue you manage
- terraces, beer gardens and pavement seating that are part of your premises
- kitchen, bar and floor staff on that shift
A 140-cover restaurant with a 40-seat terrace and 25 staff on a Saturday is over 200. Use your premises licence or fire risk assessment as a starting point.
What the Standard Tier means for hospitality
You do not need door staff, bag checks, barriers or new equipment. You need to have thought through, and briefed your team on, what to do if there is an attack nearby or inside:
- Evacuation: which exits to use and where staff send guests, away from the threat
- Invacuation: bringing guests in from the terrace and moving them away from glass, into the kitchen, cellar or back rooms
- Lockdown: who locks the front door, drops shutters and keeps people inside safely
- Communication: a quick way to alert every member of staff, and who calls 999
All of this has to work with a changing team, so it needs to be simple enough for a part-time member of staff on their second shift.
Shared buildings and shopping centres
If you are in a shopping centre, a food hall, a hotel or a building with other businesses, you must co-ordinate your procedures with the other Responsible Persons, so far as is reasonably practicable. That usually means agreeing with the landlord or centre manager how alerts and lockdowns will work across the site.
Notifying the SIA
Once the law is in force you must tell the Security Industry Authority that you are responsible for qualifying premises, within three months. Groups with several sites will need to notify for each one. See our guide to SIA notification.
Want it done for you? Answer one 15-minute questionnaire and we write your Standard Tier procedures, Responsible Person record, staff briefing sheet and record log, delivered within 3 working days.
General information based on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office and SIA guidance as at 6 November 2026. Not legal advice. Official sources: SIA: Understanding Martyn's Law and ProtectUK.
More guides: all Martyn's Law guides.