Coronavirus Gold Coast: Shiraz Persian owner Erfan Jalili says restrictions have given venues a chance to change for the better

This Gold Coast restaurant owner is glad to be reopening, but reckons a little more time in lockdown would not be the end of the world - here’s why.

SURFERS Paradise restaurant owner Erfan Jalilian is looking on the bright side as much as possible.

Despite coronavirus forcing a six-week shutdown and being temporarily locked out of his Shiraz Persian restaurant yesterday while he was preparing for today’s reopening, he was remarkably optimistic.

He had just had the place cleaned by Sanitize Men when they mistakenly locked the door on the way out, leaving him stranded outside with all his keys inside.

“So we are waiting for my business partner to come from Ashmore to let us in. “It’s pretty funny,” he tells ATG while he’s waiting, seeing the humour in his plight.

Shiraz Persian restaurant, Surfers Paradise owner Erfan Jalilian. Picture: Ryan Keen

Mr Jalilian has been keeping things ticking over with takeaways but looking forward to reopening albeit for just 10 patrons at a time from today as allowed under stage one of the new eased restrictions.

The Iranian who has had the venue for eight years said one upside of the COVID-19 pandemic had been plenty of free time to think about expanding what he had on offer.

It has led to him setting up a takeaway and delivery option for the first time, adding a Keto-diet friendly menu, doing prepacked frozen healthy lunches and opening an online “e-Persian” supermarket.

“Thanks to COVID-19 – and I’m very sorry for the lost lives – but we have had a lot of time to think about what we can do better. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if the restrictions went a little longer and I had time to do more – honestly, my brain is on fire, so many things I’ve been thinking we can do that you don’t have time when you are engaged with the busy day to day.”