Normanby Hotel selling off alcohol cheap before COVID-19 lockdown

The Normanby Hotel has opened its cellar and dropped its prices in an “everything must go” sale just hours before it and every club and pub in Queensland shuts down indefinitely as part of a coronavirus lockdown of non-essential services.

IT was bargains at a distance and with a sense of regret, as patrons rushed to the Normanby Hotel to take a bit of their favourite pub back to their homes.

With pubs and clubs their doors today due to the Federal Government’s coronavirus lockdown of non-essential services, the Normanby Hotel opened its store room doors this morning for an “everything must go” clearance sale.

Beers, wines and spirits were sold at 30% off retail prices as the hotel prepared to close indefinitely.

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Patrons rush the Normanby Hotel as it sells its alcohol cheap ahead of the coronavirus lockdown of essential services. Picture: Supplied

“We don’t know how long this is going to go on for, so we decided to open up our cellars and offload our stocks,” Normanby Hotel general manager Simon King.

Mr King said he had to let go of the venue’s casual staff of about 35.

“We only lasted an extra week which makes me feel a little bit better,” Mr King said.

“It’s a horrible time, unprecedented time and a bleak and unknown future.

“I wish I had a crystal ball and what the future was to hold.”

Heartbroken Petrie Terrace resident Jasmine Rawlinson said there’d be a gap in her life as her local pub closed its doors.

“It’s really sad that the Normanby has to close down,” Ms Rawlinson said.

“We live just a couple of streets away so we’d always just walk down.”

But the melancholy didn’t stop her from making the most of the sale.

“My friend’s 21st is coming up (in April) so we’re stocking up for that,” Ms Rawlinson said.

Her car boot was filled with cartons of cider and, as ironic as it may be, a lone carton of Corona too.

“We’ll get a couple of bottles of vodka and some more beer too,” she said. “Just in case.

“You’ve gotta have drinks if we’re going into isolation,’

While the drinks sale drew a crowd, safety was a priority, with workers strictly enforcing social distancing protocols.

‘We’re keeping everyone further back, serving one person at a time and we’re using marked out lines as a measure for social distancing,’ Mr King said.