Kandanga Farm Store Cafe closed indefinitely after vaccine mandate

Restaurants across Queensland are being forced to operate with a reduced number of staff or temporarily close to stop the spread of Covid, but some businesses in the Gympie region have a different plan. Find out more here:

While many Gympie companies have so far dodged forced closures due to Covid spikes, the feedback from business chiefs is owners have bigger things to worry about.

The region has been relatively lucky in terms of Covid outbreaks, recording the lowest number of cases across the Wide Bay despite the concerningly low vaccine numbers.

In other parts of the state, businesses have been forced to shut down temporarily due to spikes in Covid cases, only to reopen with a reduced number of staff as employees descend into isolation.

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In Noosa, tourists have been left with a lack of dining options during the coastal town’s busiest time of year, with Noosa Surf Club, Flanagan’s Pub and Cafe Le Monde closed on Tuesday (January 4) due to staff shortages.

Gympie Chamber of Commerce President Petra Van Beek said while businesses in the region had not been faced with staff shortages, some restaurants had still temporarily closed.

“Most businesses seem to be operating as normal but with masks on, and some hospitality businesses have closed due to the double vax requirements for staff and patrons,” she said.

The Kandanga Kitchen and Kandanga Farm Store crew when it first opened in 2017 (from left) Bec Edmonds, Tim and Amber Scott and Trent Kirkwood.

Ms van Beek said one such business was the Kandanga Kitchen, which was part of the Kandanga Farm Store at Kandanga Creek.

According to the businesses website, the kitchen closed on December 17 when the mandate took effect.

“The Kandanga Farm Store kitchen is regrouping as we navigate the current uncertain times,” the website reads.

“We believe food can and should bring people together, not divide them, so until we are able to welcome all we will remain closed.”

Jarrod Dan, owner of Grace and Whiskers, said the cafe has seen a decline in revenue since the mandates began.

Other businesses are fighting to survive through different methods.

Grace and Whiskers and The Bunker Smokehouse owner Jarrod Dan told the Gympie Times in December he had noticed a decline in revenue as a result of Covid, especially at the cafe.

The business no longer offers dine-in service to avoid a seven day shut down for contact tracing.

Ms van Beek said the Chamber of Commerce would like to see changes in the government’s current approach to the pandemic.

Petra van Beek, Gympie Chamber of Commerce president. Photo: Contributed.

“We would like there to be a solution that’s not so divisive,” she said.

As of January 3, 2022, the Gympie region has 82 active cases.