Regional businesses battle through coronavirus challenge
As businesses battle to stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis, regional companies are working their way through the challenges.
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Regional businesses are exploring all their options in a bid to stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis.
For Murray Bridge riverfront restaurant Riverscape Food and Wine, the crisis could not have come at a worse time.
The business has been operating for 20 years and Jake Sutcliffe took over ownership of the restaurant, and redeveloped it, in January 2018.
But a fire in the restaurant in February last year led to its closure for five months.
“By the end of last year, business had started to pick up again. We had a really good Christmas and January,” Mr Sutcliffe said.
Just as business started to pick up, coronavirus hit.
Riverscape has brought in a takeaway menu in a bid to keep trading, and is also exploring the possibility of deliveries and alcohol takeaways.
But for some businesses, the challenge has been too great.
Acre and Ash Grazing Studio, a cafe in Murray Bridge, opened for business in January.
At the start of the coronavirus crisis, owners Ebony and Matt Wells explored different options to keep trade going through the difficult times.
But in the end they made the difficult decision to close their doors.
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“We will definitely be re-opening, but it just didn’t feel right for us to be trading at the moment, especially having a young family,” Mr Wells said.
Murray Bridge Mayor Brenton Lewis said local butchers in the region were experiencing strong demand, and fielding phone calls from Adelaide from people trying to source meat, and mince in particular.
“It’s just a crazy time at the moment and it will definitely change the way we look at service provision,” he said.