BRT and Kedron-Wavell welcome back diners

Staff are back on deck as these Brisbane clubs reopen their doors for diners. This is where you can now eat out tonight.

ONE Brisbane North tavern is reopening its restaurant tonight and a large services club has opened an outdoor dining venue in response to easing coronavirus restrictions.

Bracken Ridge Tavern (BRT) and Kedron-Wavell Services Club have joined the Caxton Hotel in announcing they are welcoming back diners after being forced to close on March 23.

BRT will reopen Panama Jack’s Steak & Rib House from tonight – serving dinner every night and lunch at weekends. They also plan to reopen the teppanyaki bar for lunch during the week.

Brisbane restaurants prepare to open, while larger venues claim they’ve been ‘overlooked’

New COVID-19 guidelines to change dining out in Queensland

When your favourite Brisbane westside restaurant will reopen

Ben White in Panama Jack's Steak & Rib House at the BRT – some tables have been removed and the remainder have been spaced apart to facilitate social distancing. Picture: Michelle Smith

Kedron-Wavell Services Club at Chermside is not expecting to reopen its venue until July, but recently started serving takeaway coffee and an a la carte dinner menu from its caravan at the front of the club.

BRT General Manager Ben White said he was looking forward to welcoming patrons back, even though they’re only allowed 10 in one sitting during stage one of the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

“I think the community is looking for businesses like ours to reopen to start a return to some normal stability,” he said.

“We believe we play a big role in the community and employ a lot of staff. It (reopening) is a positive step forward.

“We had to put all 78 staff off originally – it was heartbreaking. Some of our staff had been here for such a long time.

“Then JobKeeper came out and we’ve been able to re-employ 42 but it’s difficult without having patrons inside.”

MORE NORTH BRISBANE NEWS:

Search for new millionaire after Monday’s Gold Lotto draw

Dining precincts offer on-site picnics to accommodate more people

Thousands sign petition to ‘save’ Macca’s licensee

However staff haven’t been idle during the forced down time.

“We’ve been very busy – we’ve put in new carpets, been painting and redone some feature walls,” Mr White said.

“We’ve all become very well versed in using the steam cleaners. We’ve become jacks of all trades.”

Staff have also removed tables and spaced apart others in the dining area.

Kedron-Wavell Services Club has opened a pop-up outdoor restaurant outside its club at Chermside. Picture: Facebook

The BRT will be offering its full menu, with dinner sittings at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 8pm and weekend lunch sittings at 12pm and 1.30pm.

“Bookings have been strong – we’ve almost booked out this week,” Mr White said.

“It’s a nice step forward however the restrictions are too tight to make commercial sense.

“We can have as many staff as we deem required yet we can’t have more than 10 people dining. We have all these different rooms but can’t put anyone in them.

“However we’re ready for it to ease up hopefully quicker (then planned) and get back to some form of normal.”

BRT will continue to offer takeaway meals and delivery from 4.30pm-8.30pm every day. The bottle shop has also remained open during restrictions.

Kedron-Wavell Services Club General Manager Lyndon Broome said the pop-up outdoor dining restaurant, which opened on Saturday, was “a bit of fun and it’s a way to get our staff re-engaged and our members re-engaged as well”.

“It’s good to feel like we’re back in business,” Mr Broome said.

“All of our staff got stood down but now we can bring them back to the workforce.

“A couple front of house staff are working every day and we are trying to share the work around to many more.

“Staff are loving being back at the club.”

Kedron-Wavell Services Club has opened a pop-up outdoor restaurant out the front. Picture: Facebook

Kedron Wavell normally employs 180 people and has been able to re-employ six staff each night – with about 20 sharing the hours.

The club reopened The Bean Shack on May 11, serving takeaway coffee every day from 6.30am-10.30am.

Then on May 16, the club opened a pop-up restaurant, The BBQ Shack, in the same spot. It is open every day from 4.30pm-8.30pm.

“The BBQ Shack, being outdoors, is more cost effective to run than being indoors,” Mr Broome said.

“Even when we are allowed 20 people (from June 13) we would be outdoors still.

“If we are allowed to have more than 20 we would consider reopening the club, but we’ll run The BBQ Shack as long as we need to.”

Ben and Michael White are excited to welcome diners back to the Bracken Ridge Tavern from May 20. Picture: Michelle Smith

Because of the rule allowing only 10 patrons per sitting, the BBQ Shack is for members only, with maximum sittings of one hour.

Mr Broome said he anticipated the main club would reopen with limited capacity from July 13, when stage three eased restrictions come into effect.

Until then the club will continue to stay in touch with members online through members’ draws and K-Fit classes.

Here’s what’s happening at other venues on Brisbane’s northside:

■ Chermside Tavern

The venue’s Facebook page states it is “one step closer” to reopening its doors.

“We are working furiously to finalise a plan that will enable us to reopen in a limited capacity in the next couple of weeks. The wait is almost over!!”

■ Aspley Hornets, Carseldine

The venue is offering takeaway meals and the bottle shop is open.

The venue’s Facebook page states: “For the moment while we here at the club work out our reopening strategy, and what these new stages mean for us we will continue our takeaway and bottle shop services and be adding more takeaway menu options for you to enjoy at home!”

■ The Full Moon Hotel, Sandgate

The kitchen is open for takeaway meals every day from 11.30am-2pm and 4pm-8pm. The bottle shop is open for takeaway and delivery.

■ The Homestead Tavern, Boondall

The venue will offer a takeaway menu from June 4 – available Thursday to Saturday from 5.30pm-8.80pm. The drive through bottle shop is open.

The venue’s Facebook page states that “for the near future, the Homestead Tavern will remain closed until the proposed Stage 3 (from July 11)”.