Dubbo’s Caffe Cherry Beans closes due to Covid challenges

A much-loved small business has closed its doors for good, with the owner warning Covid has made the ‘the situation worse’ than any help governments are offering.

The much-loved Caffe Cherry Beans at Dubbo Square has become the latest casualty in the Covid crisis ruining lives and livelihoods across the world.

Business owner Klent Lee told The Dubbo News the pandemic had led to an untenable situation which forced him to make the difficult choice to shut up shop.

Construction workers dismantle Caffe Cherry Beans at Dubbo Square. Picture: Ryan Young

“We actually finished our contract and I have another business, I don’t want to be operating two business,” he said.

“I had to close down one of the businesses and keep focused on the other one.”

Mr Lee said family commitments and international border closures, which have prevented his relatives from South Korea coming to Australia to help, had made it hard to keep his doors open.

“I have two kids and me and my wife had to look after two kids and two businesses and it was too much work.

“I used to have support from our parents to look after our kids but they can’t come into Australia anymore.

“Some weekends we couldn’t find someone to look after our kids, it was a real difficulty.”

As he expressed thanks to his loyal customers, Mr Lee said six staff were without jobs because of the businesses closure.

“The rest of them I have kept in the other shop,” he said.

“Thank you for supporting me and I still have a business in the same shopping centre, Bite Me Mug Me in the food court area.”

Bite Me Mug Me remaisn open in Dubbo Square. Picture: Facebook

The consequences of pandemic uncertainty and lockdowns were far worse than any support governments could provide, Mr Lee said.

“I actually have very good support from the government which I appreciate, but the situation is worse than the government support provided.

“I’m not blaming the government. the situation it just worse than the support at the moment.”

Business NSW regional manager for western NSW Vicki Seccombe. Picture: Dubbo Chamber of Commerce/Facebook

Business NSW regional manager for western NSW Vicki Seccombe said while finances were a key consideration for businesses, many people overlooked the tolls personal and family commitments took.

“Running a business can be hard so when you have a lot of different factors building up and there’s no end in sight, that makes it mentally tough to get through this time,” she said.

“The bills keep coming in … sometimes it just becomes too hard to continue going.

“We are going to see businesses close, unfortunately that is inevitable, but I am also hopeful.”

Ms Seccombe said business in western NSW had a track record of being resilient in the face of adversities like droughts and mouse plagues.

“Last year we had a strong recovery through agriculture and tourism … we then started to experience a whole range of skills shortages so there were quite a number of jobs there.

“We do have the potential to have a really strong recovery.”

If predictions of a strong harvest season are borne out and tourists can return, Ms Seccombe believes businesses in regional areas can bounce back better than their metropolitan counterparts.

“The biggest factor we need to address is confidence,” she said.

“Businesses are really looking to understand our way out of this, we’ve got the general guide but we’re really looking for the nuts and bolts details underneath it.

“The road map is a stating point, but we’re not going to get a strong recovery or confidence fully returning until restrictions start to ease.”