Miami Marketta launches online in attempt to survive pandemic

The people behind food and entertainment hub Miami Marketta say they “never dreamt of a day we wouldn’t open” – but now their doors have been closed for more than a month. Here’s their next plan.

THE people behind food and entertainment hub Miami Marketta say they “never dreamt of a day we wouldn’t open” – but now their doors have been closed for more than a month.

It was a bittersweet reality for Miami Marketta creative director Emma Milikins who made the decision to shut the gate of the popular live music and food market venue.

But although facing trying times, Miami Marketta’s creative director Emma Milikins has been keeping busy.

From 8am Monday, Marketta fans will be able to buy pre-made parcels of their favourite local beers, wines, and cheese hampers.

“Also for Mother’s Day we are making backyard picnic boxes, which you can pre-order,” Ms Milkins said.

Emma Milikins, Creative Director of Miami Marketta, wants the venue to move into the spotlight online. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We’re also doing a lot of infusions too. Today we’ve been making blackberry and strawberry vodka infusions. Just things that are really easy for people.

“It’s exciting because it feels like we are starting again.”

In between the online deliveries, Ms Milkins will be working to transform Miami Marketta into a drive-through, hoping to launch within the next month.

“We were kind of waiting to see what the community wanted,” she said.

“We got a lot of really bad backlash online with staying open (during the mass gathering ban of 500 people).

“People don’t see us as a small business. They don’t realise we’re just two families who own a business that supports 30 other small businesses.

Mjami Marketta will be selling boxex online as of 8am Monday. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Maybe it’s because we look like a big entity but we are no different to a little pizza shop around the corner.

“We don’t get that support community wise. We don’t have people who would get online and say ‘support Marketta, they are a small family business’.”

Miami Marketta was the first street food venue to open on the Gold Coast in 2011.

Some of the vendors have been there since the opening.

Ms Milikins has promised them their space for when the markets are safe to reopen, but is unsure how many businesses will survive.

“We did the social distancing and spaced everything out. The last night we opened, people just didn’t come out,’’ she said.

“The vendors couldn’t survive on those numbers.

Miami Marketta. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“We put it back to (vendors) and said ‘who would like to stay open’ and there were about five (out of 30) who wanted to stay.

“When they didn’t want to trade, we said ‘OK, don’t pay rent and your space is here when you come back’.

“Some (vendors) won’t survive. I don’t think some will come back. It’s a sad thought.

“Others are doing their own thing, going online and doing deliveries.”

But the hardest part of all for Ms Milikins was letting 50 staff members go.

“With JobKeeper coming in this week, our staff will be able to get on to that,” she said.

“Unfortunately we had a lot of foreign staff and we are trying to figure out how to help them because some of them are already living in their cars.”