High street favourite, Greggs is planning to reopen 20 stores in the Newcastle area as part of a controlled trial.
The bakery 2,050-site chain will be opening the branches on 4 May for two weeks, offering takeaways and deliveries only.
The trial will involve shorter trading hours and a limited product range.
Chief executive Roger Whiteside said he hopes the trial will inform the business about what changes need to be made to operate safety.
In a letter to staff, he said that from 8 June, he hoped to open about 700 stores, including 150 franchise shops.
Whiteside intends to have all stores open again by 1 July, when the Government's job retention scheme is due to end. However, he said that timing could change, depending on future government announcements.
He added, 'We expect it will only be possible to open this many shops if the government has taken a first step in relaxing the lockdown, which could be to open the schools.'