Gold Coast brewery Black Hops back at capacity with stage 3 COVID-19 safety rules

A Gold Coast brewery is celebrating a return to pre-COVID-19 patron numbers when relaxed safety rules come into effect this week.

BLACK Hops Brewery is celebrating a return to normalcy as the Gold Coast prepares for more relaxed Stage 3 COVID-19 restrictions earlier than planned.

From Friday, thanks to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk bringing forward some stage 3 easing, the Burleigh Heads brewery can have 30 patrons inside, double their previous limit.

She has also greenlighted small businesses under 100 sq metres being allowed one patron per two square metres instead of the existing four square metre rule.

For Black Hops – which opened a second Biggera Waters location last year – it means they’re almost back to pre-COVID-19 capacity, according to Burleigh tap room manager Cayle Lutas.

“We have such a strong regular base, and with 15 people as the max it was really disheartening to have to turn people away,” he said.

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“Since we reopened we’ve been pretty much at capacity for 80-90 per cent of the day, every day we do trade.”

Patrons will also be allowed to order drinks and food from the bar again.

Mr Lutas added while it was a welcome boost to have over-the-bar service again, Black Hops plans to continue table service moving forward.

“We’ve had a really positive experience doing table service so we’re going to continue with that,” he said.

“But a lot of our patrons are barflies, they’re the people you want standing at the bar having a chat before they’re on their way.

“It does make things more efficient,” Mr Lutas said.