Social Brew cafe share how Gold Coast's love of delivery apps saved their business
A year on from the Gold Coast going into lockdown, two mums tell how the city's love of delivery food apps saved their cafe.
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BALANCING a business making no money and looking after their children during last year’s lockdown, Gold Coast mums Rebecca Stramarcos and Nerissa Jefferey say the city’s love of delivery food kept their Burleigh cafe alive.
This time last year Ms Stramarcos and Ms Jefferey, a co-owner and a worker at Social Brew, were only surviving lockdown restrictions due to delivery apps.
“Uber Eats was a massive help when people weren’t able to sit in the store anymore,” Ms Stramarcos said.
“We didn’t do anything like this before the lockdown but it kept us alive and open.”
In February 2020, a month out from the pandemic putting states across Australia into lockdown, Alphabeta released a report that found delivery apps were bringing in $2.6 billion of trade to the country’s restaurant industry.
That number has only grown and last month Uber revealed Australians were spending 210 per cent more on food delivery between 12-3pm compared to January 2020.
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The Gold Coast almost doubled the national average in that time with a 400 per cent increase in lunchtime orders.
Ms Jefferey said a growth in the city’s delivery food market came at the right time for the cafe.
“We were able to get some new customers and some of them still order from us,” she said.
“We were getting nice supportive messages in the orders that meant a lot at the time.”
Partygoers prepare to break the bar drinks drought
Jule 2, 2020
BARS, pubs and clubs are bracing for impact ahead of what could be the biggest Friday session in Gold Coast history.
Bar service is allowed again from midday in time for knock-off drinks thanks to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk fast-tracking Stage 3 relaxations. Partygoers are expected to flood venues to break the bar drinks drought following months of unprecedented restrictions.
Friday hotspot Burleigh Pavilion’s owner Ben May said while they’d buckled down under safety precautions, they were equally excited to serve their first frothy across the bar on Friday.
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“It feels like we are getting back to a sense of normality,” he said.
“This whole period has really highlighted some simple things that you really miss, like the ability to go to the bar to order a drink.
“We have no doubt all venues across the state will experience a rush of people and we can’t wait to welcome people back.”
Patrons aren’t the only ones with something to celebrate, with hospitality workers also toasting being back on the clock as employers rush to refill their ranks.
“We have dozens of casual staff that weren’t eligible for JobKeeper who now have a job,” Mr May said.
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“It’s a great feeling to have them back on board.”
Burleigh Pavilion staff member Che Rooke has been with the bar and restaurant since 2018 and said the eased restrictions would help the venue get back its famous atmosphere.
“The Burleigh Pavilion will once again be full of energy, people come to socialise and the eased restrictions will help that happen,” she said.
“There are a lot of faces from our staff team that I haven’t seen since we shut, so it’ll be great to see them again.”
The Lucky Squire restaurant, bar and microbrewery in Broadbeach is the only location on the Coast with the full James Squire beer range on tap.
The venue on Oracle Boulevard opened just over two weeks ago and venue manager Mark Dixon said he was excited to finally get to use the 14.5-metre bar.
“The most important thing is we can increase customer capacity and put on more staff,” he said.
“We’ll be able to fit in 150 people from around 80, which we’ve been operating at.
“We’ll also be able to use our bar as it was intended, people can come up and see all the beer options we have available.”
Balter Brewing Company’s Jarrod Elliott from said the Currumbin bar was also looking forward to increasing capacity from 40 patrons to 60 on Friday.
“20 customers doesn’t sound like a lot of people but it means we won’t need to turn away our local support and regulars anymore,” he said.
The Surfers Paradise Licensed Venues Association president Tim Martin said the eased restrictions had been frustrating for operators, but he hoped people would be enjoying new-found social freedom on the Gold Coast.
“Owners and operators are still figuring out what all these new rules mean and how it impacts them but we’re looking forward to seeing people out and about again,” he said.
“Hopefully people will celebrate the eased restrictions by supporting local businesses and appreciate we’re all getting used to what these rules mean for our industry.”
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said time would tell if eased restrictions would help city businesses recover and pleaded for people to support them.
“Businesses have been wounded by this pandemic and no business hasn’t been affected,” he said.
“With 60,000 small businesses on the Gold Coast, there’s a family attached to all of them trying to make ends meet.
“We encourage all people to continue to support and spend money at the local cafes, restaurants and bars and help these businesses through these times.”
FROM NOON FRIDAY
– Businesses under 200sq m can operate with 1 person per 2sq m, up to 50 people.
– Businesses over 200sq m can operate with 1 person per 4sq m with no capacity cap.
– Casinos, gaming and gambling venues, nightclubs, food courts, non-therapeutic massage, saunas and bathhouses can reopen with a COVID Safe Plan.
– Office-based workers can return, provided they meet the 4sq m rule.
– Concert venues, theatres and auditoriums can open with up to 50 per cent capacity or the 4sq m rule (whichever is greater).
– Weddings and funerals can have up to 100 people.
– Sports, recreation and fitness organisations can resume including competitions and physical contact sports with a COVID Safe industry plan.
– Indoor sporting, recreation and fitness venues to follow 4sq m rule
– Spectators at outdoor sporting and recreation and fitness venues must have physical distancing in place (1.5 metres per family group).
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