Mount Gambier’s hospitality industry reacts as SA locks down due to Adelaide coronavirus cluster

The Mount Gambier hospitality industry is bracing itself as closures and the takeaway ban threatens to cripple business – including a new coffee shop which only opened Monday.

Hundreds of kilometres away from the closet coronavirus case, Mount Gambier’s hospitality got inventive to avoid throwing out excess stock when the clock struck midnight on Wednesday.

Presto Eatery sold muffin batter by the pipping bag, ScRoll Queen panic-baked until it ran out of dough, and Mount Gambier’s newest coffee shop brewed until 11pm.

In an unexpected move, the State Government announced on Wednesday all restaurants pubs, cafes, coffee shops, food courts and takeaway shops would have to shut entirely for six days in response to the growing Parafield COVID cluster.

Even at the harshest point of restrictions in SA and neighbouring Victoria, outlets were still able to sell takeaway.

Sam Johnston owner of Confession in Mount Gambier must close his business after it opened on Monday. Picture: Jessica Ball

Sam Johnston opened the doors to new coffee shop Confession on Monday only to be force to lock them on behind him on Wednesday night.

Mr Johnston said he had always assumed the shop would be able to trade through its servery window if restrictions returned, but the takeaway ban had thrown him.

“We didn’t see it coming, this is really blindsided us,” Mr Johnston said.

But he was not surprised restrictions were clamping down in regional SA.

“I’m glad to see we’re taking a proactive stance even though it is detrimental for me business wise,” he said.

“I absolutely agree this is the best course of action. It is an absolutely better scenario than what we could end up with like Victoria and Melbourne.

“I don’t want to say that happen and I’m sure I’m not the only one in South Australia that sees this as necessary step to avoid what would be a terrible situation with small businesses, large businesses and just people in general.

“The alternative is that we will be shut down later on down the track just for a longer period and the hurt will come later.”

Mount Gambier Hotel Picture: Jessica Ball

Mount Gambier Hotel manager Belinda Crute threw her hands in the air when she heard the news the establishment would not be able to resort to takeaway trade during the lockdown.

“We were actually prepared because we were half thinking that this may happen and so we had a takeaway plan already in place ready to go, but that’s all been squashed,” she said.

Ms Crute said a takeaway-only approach had allowed the hotel to keep it’s staff employed during previous restrictions whereas this time the mostly casual 53 kitchen, waitress and kitchen staff will go without work and without paychecks.

While disappointed, she saw merit in a hard lockdown but hoped if restriction were to continue past the six day period takeaway would be allowed to return even to help keep people in jobs, even if they could not open the doors.

“You've just got to do what you’re got to do keep safe don’t we,” she said.

“We’re really better off to be shut for six days and to be shut for six months. We’ll just roll with it.”

Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin asked the community to stay calm as the city entered lockdown.

“I do ask that they don’t panic,” Mayor Martin said.

“At this point in time, it seems an extreme reaction for Mount Gambier to enforce a full lockdown from midnight for the next six days but it’s implemented with an abundance of caution to protect our community.

“Six days may seem a long time but it‘s an important measure to take to stop the spread of the virus.”