Restaurant shuts dining room because of vaccine mandate

A popular Logan restaurant will close its dining room when the State Government’s vaccination mandate is introduced from this Friday saying it cannot justify “segregating people”.

A popular Logan restaurant will close its dining room when the State Government’s vaccination mandate is introduced from this Friday saying it cannot justify “segregating people due to their medical preferences”.

The American Bourbon Bar and Grill at Springwood will only offer a takeaway option until further notice because it is unable to police the mandate that will require customers to provide evidence of vaccination.

“We aren’t security guards, nor medical officers, we are chefs and bartenders,” say the restaurant owners Steven Holbert and wife Sunshine Dyer.

“I am not capable as a business owner to enforce a decision whereby I am required to remove some team members or customers whom have opted not to be vaccinated just so I can operate.

Gary Mortimer

“Our business framework needs to be fair and reasonable to all of our community. We will respectfully adhere to the recommendations outlined by Queensland Health whilst being respectful to our ABBG family.”

The takeaway option would permit both the vaccinated and unvaccinated patrons to access its services. Holbert, who says all his five staff will remain employed, says he also has to protect his people from possible abuse.

QUT retail expert Gary Mortimer says the vaccination mandate would be challenging for many hospitality operators. While many restaurants would choose to enforce the mandate, others would be concerned about the hostile backlash from customers angry about the new rules. American Bourbon Bar & Grill is not the only business concerned that they are being asked to enforce a law without adequate resources.

Last month, Brisbane coffee king Phillip Di Bella slammed the State Government’s Covid-19 mandate claiming his opposition to it was “about discrimination and dictatorship”. 

HEAVY METAL

Queensland Pacific Metals may keep a relatively low profile at home but the battery materials company is certainly making waves internationally.

QPM chief executive Stephen Grocott was the only Queensland businessman invited to a roundtable in Sydney on Tuesday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

The reason Grocott got to rub shoulders with international powerbrokers should be obvious to anyone witnessing the rapidly emerging electric vehicle revolution.

QPM is developing an advanced, environmentally sustainable battery metals refinery in Townsville, which aligns with the Korean Government’s focus on developing a critical metal sector. Earlier this year, two of Korea’s largest companies – LG Energy Solution and POSCO – quietly invested $15m to take a 10 per cent stake in QPM.

POSCO is one of the largest steel producers in the world. In September, the State Government declared the QPM’s Townsville project one of “state significance.”

The project will see high grade nickel laterite orre imported from New Caledonia and processed to produce nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, high purity alumina and magnesia.

Queensland Pacific Metals managing director John Downie and CEO Stephen Grocott.

BLOOD OATH

Dalene Wray, the managing director of grass-fed beef company OBE Organic, has been rolling up her arm to save lives.

Wray usually travels overseas regularly which means normally she can’t donate blood because of restrictions placed on donors who have visited at-risk countries.

But when Covid-19 grounded most Australians who travel regularly overseas, Wray pushed to get her fellow frequent flyers to donate blood as well as encouraging anyone who wasn’t donating to join in.

With Export Finance Australia’s Adam Pearce, Wray came up with a campaign to #save1000Lives through blood donations. So far, they’re at 531 and counting.

Wray’s father David Brook – the outback beef icon who is chair of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and a former owner of the Birdsville Hotel – was encouraged to donate blood for the first time at age 73!

Dalene Wray, CEO of OBE Organics