Changed attitude from border closure brings Burleigh business boost

As the border closed down, a Burleigh Heads cafe on the brink of folding suddenly started booming.

Burleigh Heads cafe Seadog was on the brink of shutting down.

But now it is wagging its tail, with custom reportedly booming after border closures saw Gold Coasters start to support local businesses.

The cafe’s owner Bordie Green, 29, said the change in attitude from locals helped his business survive.

“In the first two weeks of COVID we thought we’d need to shut,” he said. “Our sales in the last seven weeks have increased by around three times the amount.

“The borders shutting has consolidated everyone.”

Seadog owner Brodie Green. Picture: Jerad Williams

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A focus on takeaway services has meant the hole-in-the-wall cafe has been able to remain open during unprecedented restrictions and Mr Green said other businesses reopening around him has helped even more.

“On the weekend we had our biggest Saturday and Sunday we’ve ever had,” he said.

“We are literally doing numbers I’d never thought would be possible for a cafe this size.”

Social Brew manager Clementine Haines, 27, said the cafe in the Burleigh Arcade had seen positives and negatives from the borders shutting.

“We had such great support from our locals that we were able to survive and stay open the whole time,” she said.

Clementine Haines, manager at Social Brew in Burleigh. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We have found new customers who live around the corner because we were able to stay open.

“There are a few regulars who live across the border and travel a long way to see us, so we’re looking forward to seeing them again.”

Vegan skincare business Cedar and Stone has also had more local customers since borders shut but the decision has made life harder for co-owner Anna Hamilton, 27, who lives in Hastings Point.

“Getting through the border has been pretty intense,” she said.

“I just have to leave a little bit early, I only live half an hour from here.”

Cedar and Stone Co-owner Anna Hamilton. Picture: Jerad Williams

The Burleigh Heads business has only been running for just under a year and a strong online presence helped it stay alive during a four-week closure but Ms Hamilton is hoping a boost in local support will remain in the future.

“We have a lot of Sydney customers so they have eased off but locally we are still getting good support,” she said.

“As restrictions lift, we’ll hopefully have more customers from Queensland and New South Wales.”