Hotel Norville calls on government support as drink sales decline and business survives on takeaway orders

Any other time over the Christmas and New Year period, Hotel Norville would be going through 10 kegs of beer ‘in a bad week’. Now, they can’t remember the last time they’ve had to change them.

In pre-pandemic days, staff at Toowoomba’s Hotel Norville would expect to go through 10 kegs of beer “in a bad week”.

This year, however, owner Jason Bartholomew said it had been at least two weeks since he had needed to order a new keg for the venue.

With takeaway food now making up about 70 per cent of their trade, on-site drinks have plummeted to be about seven per cent, down from up to one third of their business.

With a combination of Covid fears, mixed government messaging and confusing mask and vaccine requirements, Mr Bartholomew said it was “only a matter of time” before businesses in the hospitality sector started closing their doors for good.

“It’s a matter of who can wait out the longest,” Mr Bartholomew said.

“We had to close of a Sunday which is the day where most people lounge about, have a meal and a few drinks but that’s gone now, and it means we’re not paying staff for the day as well.

“The countdown until businesses start closing has begun because if things stay like this for any longer than a few months, it’s going to be pretty dire.

“Normally this time of year we’d be ordering 10 kegs a week, if it was a bad week, but I can’t remember the last time we’ve had to order a keg of beer.”

Mr Bartholomew called on all levels of government to acknowledge the crisis and do more to support their local businesses.

“Everyone would be better off if we were in lockdown again and there was some support for businesses because as it stands we’re unsure if and when our customers will return,” he said.

“I think people are scared of either catching Covid or being a close contact which means they would have to isolate for seven days, and there’s too much confusion around those rules that people aren’t willing to risk it.

“If our staff have to isolate that’s the least of our worries because if we don’t get people through the door we won’t have the money to pay them anyway.

“If there was clearer rules and explanations around what is a close contact that would help but there needs to be acknowledgment from all levels of government about what is going on, because it’s not just us. It’s happening across Toowoomba, and across the state.”

Originally published as Hotel Norville calls on government support as drink sales decline and business survives on takeaway orders