Fortitude Valley restaurant Joy to reopen after shutting for three months during COVID lockdown
After months of being closed and rumours it would never re-open, Fortitude Valley’s award-winning restaurant Joy is set to start serving again
QLD Taste
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FORTITUDE Valley’s hugely popular restaurant Joy is finally set to reopen next week after coronavirus lockdowns shut it for more than three months.
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The tiny 10-seater fine dining restaurant in Bakery Lane will begin serving customers again on July 23, but under new COVID-19 space restrictions, will only be open to serve eight diners at a time.
To cope with the new rules, the restaurant has changed its business model and is only taking bookings for two parties of four per sitting.
“COVID-19 has presented us with some of the most mentally and emotionally challenging times we have experienced,” said owners Tim and Sarah Scott, with rumours swirling the restrictions would prevent the compact restaurant, which features a single bar-style table opening into the kitchen, from reopening.
“With that being said, we are so excited to finally welcome [diners] back to our kitchen counter in a healthy, happy, socially distanced, sanitised manner.”
However, the restaurant has also been forced to up its bullying policy after being inundated with angry messages from customers annoyed that the restaurant couldn’t open, despite strict government enforced laws.
The website now reports a zero-tolerance policy towards any “aggressive, passive aggressive, argumentative, or self-righteous behaviour” with those acting in such a way banned from making a booking.
Prior to coronavirus lockdowns the Ann St was booked out months in advance and had a string of awards to its name after less than a year in operation.