Ocean Ended closure: Covid forces popular waterfront restaurant to close

‘The last of many straws’: A Sunshine Coast restaurateur has lashed out at state government Covid advice which he says left no choice but to close his popular venue for good.

A Maroochydore restaurateur has blamed the state government’s advice in handling of the Omicron wave as one of the key reasons why his popular venue could no longer survive.

The owner of Ocean Ended Restaurant and Bar Paul Holmes announced the restaurant’s closure at the weekend after six successful years.

Mr Holmes said the “last of many straws” was a staff member who became a close contact which forced him to close the doors.

He said the restaurant battled through the 11-week lockdown of 2020, border closures, endless bookings and cancellations, staff shortages and supply chain issues.

Ocean Ended Restaurant and Bar owner Paul Holmes has closed the Maroochydore business after six successful years.

However, he said the Omicron wave and health advice from the state government was the tipping point.

The closure came only weeks after Sunshine Coast hospitality industry leaders forecast massive financial losses and lost trade amid soaring case numbers which have now grown to more than 14,000.

Mr Holmes, a man with 45 years’ hospitality experience, remembered watching Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on television telling everyone to “stay at home”.

“It’s totally been caused by the state government toing and froing. They told everyone to stay at home and the people listened,” Mr Holmes said.

This was denied by a spokesman for the premier who said Ms Palaszczuk’s advice at the time was for the elderly and unboosted residents.

“If you are elderly and you haven’t had your booster, please think seriously about where you are going,” a statement of Ms Palaszczuk’s Covid address from January 3 read.

Mr Holmes, 63, said normally booming places like Ocean St had turned into ghost towns.

“You look around, there’s no one in the streets, it feels like the aftermath of a bomb,” he said.

“January is generally the second busiest month, after December, but more than 50 per cent of our bookings have been cancelled, people are ducking, doing exactly what they’ve been asked to do.

“Financially we’ve been decimated. February is always quiet and you rely on December and January’s bank to survive.”

Mr Holmes opened the modern, waterfront venue as a “dream come true” in 2014 and had been supported by a strong loyal customer base.

He said many hospitality businesses were struggling.

“So many hospitality businesses are in strife and many aren’t eligible for Covid payments,” he said.

“We wish we could see a way to reopen, but the rules and regulations have led our business model to insolvency.”

Mooloolaba Wharf co-owner Dirk Long predicted on January 3 that it would be a matter of time before restaurants closed.

The Wharf Mooloolaba co-owner Dirk Long predicted the hospitality industry would suffer as a result of the Omicron wave. Picture: Melanie McNiven

Mr Long said any closure was concerning because cafes and restaurants relied on January trade to get through the quieter months.

“It’s a bit of a disaster … there’s not one venue that’s not struggling,” Mr Long said.

“Once you start cutting days of the week you’ll see those black numbers become red pretty quickly.”

The premier’s spokesman said the state government had been consistently encouraging healthy and vaccinated people to support local businesses.

“Vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are being urged to limit their exposure to the virus while the booster rollout continues,” the spokesman said.

“As the chief health officer said this week, you are 24 times more likely to end up in an ICU bed if you are unvaccinated compared to someone who has had a booster.

“It’s important for people to wear a mask and get a booster shot when they can.

“The state government recognises the impact the global Covid-19 pandemic has had on small business which is why we’ve facilitated more than $500m in support to small businesses.”