Grace and Whiskers Coffee House closes after Covid fallout
A second Gympie coffee shop in less than a month has announced it must close its doors after a lengthy battle against the fallout from Covid mandates and restrictions. Find out what the devastated owner had to say:
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A popular Gympie cafe will soon close its doors, less than six months after they opened.
Grace and Whiskers Coffee House, owned and run by hospitality power couple Lauren and Jarrod Dan, officially opened on International Coffee Day (October 1, 2021), but after facing numerous setbacks due to Covid, will close within the next week.
The Dans also own catering and events business Beauty and the Beard and the Bunker Smokehouse on Reef Street.
Mr Dan confirmed the news of Grace and Whiskers closing to the Gympie Times on Thursday afternoon.
The coffee house is the second popular Gympie cafe to fold under the weight of Covid in less than a month, following the shock closure of Vespa Espresso Bar on January 21, 2022.
Mr Dan said he and Mrs Dan were “devastated” at having to close Grace and Whiskers, but were not giving up on the business.
“We will probably come back,” he said.
He said ideally, the coffee house would remain open an extra week, but a lack of business had forced his hand.
“The scenario is there is not enough trade to stay open,” he said.
Mr Dan has been outspoken about the financial fallout of Covid on hospitality businesses, including the effect of the government enforced vaccine mandates that came in on December 17, 2021.
He said he felt the mandate had played a part in the decision to close the business.
On December 30, 2021, he said Grace and Whiskers had experienced a decline in business.
However, one silver lining in the otherwise grim decision was the opportunity to invest more time and energy into the Bunker Smokehouse on Reef St, which Mr Dan said was his “core business”.
All six staff members at Grace and Whiskers will be transferred into positions at The Bunker and Beauty and the Beard, once Grace and Whiskers closes.
In the meantime, renovations inside the Grace and Whiskers building at the corner of Channon St and Mary St would continue, with the option of The Bunker expanding into the old coffee house should Grace and Whiskers not return.
The last day of trade will be Saturday, February 12.
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