Plenty of people, not enough venues: Gold Coast dining scene in chaos

Where will the hungry tourists go? Some of the most popular restaurants on the Gold Coast have temporarily shut up shop after a wave of Covid-related staff shortages.

It’s lunch time and Burleigh Heads is bustling with bodies.

There’s a parade of tourists in bikinis and boardshorts coming off the beach and their tummies are rumbling.

But with the number of restaurants which have faced Covid closures on the southern Gold Coast’s most popular dining strip, a post-swim nosh is slimmer pickings.

Businesses from Burleigh to Broadbeach are closed due to staff shortages as a result of climbing Covid cases in Queensland. But the venues that are still open are packed. James Street, Burleigh Heads. Picture: Sam Stolz

Escalating case numbers, testing and result waits and close contact rules are copping blame for hitting trading during the busiest season of the year.

The venues that have managed to stay open on and around James Street are packed to the rafters, because the hungry crowd has nowhere else to go.

A well-dressed family of three travelling from Sydney tell the Bulletin they are “doing laps” looking for “somewhere fancy” to eat.

Mum says it’s her son’s birthday, and they “wanted to go somewhere special”.

But now they say, they will “settle for the surf club”.

Jordan Dimmock, manager of Crew cafe, is “counting her lucky stars” the venue is still open.

“It hasn’t been easy to stay open and we have really struggled but are pulling it together as best as we can right now,” she said.

“Staffing has been a major issue but we are all banding together and trying to make it work.

“I even begged my fiance to come in and wash dishes on the weekend as we were so busy.

“We have been super diligent with check-ins and I’ve even personally provided masks to customers that don’t have them.”

Broadbeach is a similar scene. Tons of tourists and a series of shut doors.

Out of close to 15 restaurants in Oracle Broadbeach, around half were open.

As a former hospitality worker myself who for nearly a decade waited tables and made coffee, I know just how tough these businesses are doing it right now.

Even one day’s trade lost can spell disaster for a restaurant and it’s sad to see people who have worked so hard suffering during what should be the most thriving time – the summer season.

So when these wonderful restaurants do find their feet and reopen, let’s all throw a napkin over our lap and order the full menu.