Restaurant legend pens five point plan to save hospitality industry
The name Rinaldo Di Stasio is synonymous with Italian fine dining in Melbourne. This hospitality legend is best known for starting up the Rosati restaurant in the 1980s and overseeing Café Di Stasio.
With the devastation COVID-19 has caused throughout the restaurant industry, Rinaldo penned an open letter to the Governing Bodies of Australia with a plea for help and a 5 point plan that could be effective in helping the hospitality industry find its feet again.
Di Stasio’s letter started:
“My name is Rinaldo Di Stasio, I am a restaurateur and vigneron with over 40 years frontline experience. Not since World War II have we had to cope with such a devastating crisis for our economy, for our healthcare system and for our people at large. Never in Australian history has our mental health and wellbeing been at such risk.
“But I continue to fight! I recognise that we must focus our energy on combating COVID-19, but we must also begin to plan for the future, a future that has a new normal; a COVID normal,” he said.
Since COVID started in Australia, Rinaldo had made sure to be involved in all discussions relating to his industry, from meetings with government bodies through to hospitality associations and even public figures. But no solutions could be reached.
He described the hospitality industry as different to most others due to “wafer thin” margins and finances that are a “constant juggle”.
Di Stasio pointed out that with the COVID closures, all restaurants were left with no revenue and debts that were accumulating. Employees were either granted Jobkeeper or were fired and forced to receive Jobseeker. However what of those people on temporary visas? In very unfair circumstances they were left to fend for themselves.
“As a perfect stimulus, money spent within the hospitality industry has a ripple effect, Di Stasio wrote. “Money spent in our restaurants, cafes, bars and other hospitality venues flows through to bakers, winemakers, market gardeners, butchers, fishers and countless others. The hospitality industry provides a sustainable food economy that benefits all Australians, which we only want to see grow.”
The hospitality industry provides vital employment opportunities to an incredibly large number of workers and is a major economic contributor to the economy, yet it hasn’t received any other support other than Jobkeeper.
So in an effort to resuscitate this industry, Di Stasio has come up with a five point plan that he feels will help the industry survive.
- Extend Jobkeeper at the original $1500 rate to Victorians beyond the September deadline, and extend it to temporary visa holders. Aren’t we all in this together?
- Provide access to funds to allow us to trade out of this cash-flow hole. Put real pressure on the banks, or underwrite them properly, to ensure that cash flows back into the economy.
- Abolish the national fringe benefits tax. It raises no revenue and stifles spending. Do you want to stimulate the economy?
- Abolish the state-based payroll tax. It is a tax on employment and is surely redundant in a post COVID-19 world.
- Reform industrial relations. Provide an alternative to the archaic and punitive federal award. Create a new system that allows flexibility, surety and confidence for all employees and their employers alike.”
- In having these points considered, he is hoping to see the future of hospitality thrive in the coming months rather than face “total ruin”.
Di Stasio is accepting letters and suggestions via mail or social media:
c/o Di Stasio Citta, 45 Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
#SaveHospitalityandTourism or @distasiocitta on Instagram
Irit Jackson, 6th August 2020
