Restaurateur warns lift restrictions or venues will go bust
The owner of Hugos Manly has warned large hospitality venues will go bust unless the NSW government lifts strict social distancing restrictions.
Restaurateur Dave Evans says the government should allow people to make their own choices about risk as the coronavirus is “not going to go away”.
Speaking to the daily Telegraph, Evans said his popular pizzeria needs to run at capacity or near capacity to turn a profit.
Under the current social distancing restrictions of four square metres per person the venue can only operate at 25 per cent. The venue’s total capacity is 250 diners, well above the planned 50 diner limit proposed from June in NSW.
“We can’t open with 50 customers, or 100, unless the staff are prepared to take a cut in wages,” Evans said.
Evans warned there will be a “lot of casualties” in the hospitality sector once the JobKeeper payments end in September if restrictions are not fully lifted.
“The support mechanisms that have been put in place by the government have been great but if they keep up restrictions and take that support away there will be a train crash,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“We can’t stop this virus unless we want to lockdown Australia for ever and never let anyone in.
“People have to be allowed to make their own choices.”
Sheridan Randall, 28th May 2020
