No more brews at Rocky’s up and coming venue

The business had to put off 20-odd staff following the coronavirus restrictions

Robin Adams, co-owner, has been forced to close Cocobrew after only being open since November last year.

AFTER only being open for five short months, Rockhampton's newest venue has been forced to close its doors.

Cocobrew joins the likes of Rocky Sports Club, O'Dowds Irish Pub, Headricks Lane, Boathouse, Kalka Palms Hotel and The Great Western Hotel that are unable to open through a takeaway trade after restrictions were placed on licensed venues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It just not viable for us to be open for takeaways because that has not been our core business," Cocobrew co-owner Robin Adams said.

"Our business has been sitting down and enjoying a lovely environment, and that is what people seem to do."

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Mr Adams had to have the hard meeting with his 20-odd staff and telling them the news wasn't easy.

"Unfortunately I had to put all our staff off and hope everything in the near future will re-open," he said.

Cocobrew on William Street.

"For a business that has been open for five months and has been well supported, the locals have been great and we have done very well in that short time … to tell 20-odd staff that they are no longer required is really tough."

Mr Adams and the team prepared the staff as much as they could.

Essential services businesses and a local pharmacy have already been in touch with Mr Adams offering his staff jobs, which he is grateful for.

"We helped them with all the information, giving them the websites, helping them with paperwork for Centrelink so they can feed themselves and families going forward," he said.

"Hospitality is a huge employer in this town, a lot of them are career hospitality people so moving to a new field is something they had probably put off the table."

The decision to close was not made lightly, but was "the best thing for the business".

Cocobrew on William Street.

With the current circumstances uncharted territory, it is unknown how long the closure will be in place.

"They have said six months, we are hoping its sooner than that," Mr Adams said.

"Deep down we are hoping it's a month but I am not a health professional.

"We are preparing our ­business the best way we can so we can come back bigger and better.

"Hopefully when we open back up our license will be through for the whiskey lounge and we will have outdoor dining,"

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Mr Adams and his wife Linda also own Jolt Parkhurst, which they have decided to keep open.

The cafe is more set up as a takeaway business and they will trial this for two weeks.

"At the end of the day we will be happy to keep the staff on and pay the debts and pay everything that has to be paid," Mr Adams said.

"You're if you think you're going to make money in hospitality in the next six months, you just have to hope to make it across."

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