Restaurants’ united front against existential threat

It’s one of Brisbane’s most beleaguered dining precincts, but as coronavirus bites these restaurant operators won’t be going down without a fight.

SOUTH Bank restaurants are banding together but bracing for the worst as coronavirus bites.

Anxious operators, such as single mother Claire Parviz, who built her business from scratch seven years ago, are determined not to go down without a fight.

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“I have worked so hard for so long – it is absolutely heartbreaking,” said Ms Parviz, who owns Spaghetti House Trattoria on Little Stanley St.

“We are staying open for as long as we can; my family is working for nothing to help out, and I’m still feeding staff I’ve had to lay off.”

QPAC’s cancellation of performances has shattered the dining precinct.

Ahmet’s Turkish restaurant assistant manager Jason Turner said the closure of QPAC was a disaster.

“We’ve never seen anything like it – the streets are empty – but we are working really hard and implementing changes,” Mr Turner said.

“We are seating people further apart, the restaurant is being constantly cleaned, and our full menu is available for takeaway.

“We need to work together to ride this out.”

Concerned South Bank restaurant operators Joe Uy from Denim Co, Craig Wright from Mucho Mexicano and Ole, Danny Sibillo from Brooklyn Depot, Victoria Holder from Stokehouse Q, Matter Riccardi from Ahmets Turkish Restaurant, Boris Zhivkov from Yellowfin, Tepil Cafer from Barbossa bar and bottle shop, Neven Vanderzee from Mr Paganini and Suke, Arif Memis from Cowch dessert cocktail bar, Jason Turner from Ahmets, and Claire Parviz from Spaghetti House. Picture: Steve Pohlner/AAP

Stokehouse Q’s Peter McMahon said busier restaurants also helped farmers and producers already reeling from the bushfire crisis.

“It’s not just about us, so we would love to see more people come to South Bank, sit by the river in comfortable surroundings and forget about the world for a few hours,” he said.

Ms Parviz said outdoor dining meant people could sit in the fresh air, with reduced risk of contracting the virus.

“Get on a CityCat, walk through the parklands, and come to our restaurants,” he said.

“There’s nothing better than sitting outside on a beautiful day and sipping a nice cold beer or an Aperol spritz.”

Who will survive? That’s the burning question as hospitality workers struggle with the worst slump in living memory.

At Howard Smith Wharves, ARC Dining – which The Courier-Mail reported last year was tipped to close in 2020 amid talk of high food costs – confirmed yesterday it had gone to the wall.

Paul McGivern, a stalwart chef in the Queensland scene, also announced Corella in South Brisbane had folded.

Meanwhile, other restaurants are adapting with takeaways and delivery, including Bucci in James Street, Moda at The Barracks and E’cco Bistro in Newstead.