Scott Imlach to close Hideaway and Mr Hizola’s restaurants over controversial Christmas Eve double time
A Gold Coast hospitality boss will close two of his restaurants instead of caving to a controversial new proposal he’s branded “bloody ridiculous”.
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A GOLD Coast hospitality boss will close two restaurants on Christmas Eve instead of paying staff double time under a controversial proposal for it to be a new public holiday.
Scott Imlach, branding the Palaszczuk Government initiative “bloody ridiculous” and out of touch with small business, said he would close popular Hideaway in Broadbeach and Mr Hizola’s at Burleigh.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk led a push in August for Queensland to join South Australia and the Northern Territorory in designating Christmas Eve a public holiday.
Parliament’s Education, Employment and Small Business Committee has endorsed it.
If adopted by Parliament, Christmas Eve would be a public holiday from 6pm with penalty rates kicking in.
But Mr Imlach, whose stable includes Bine restaurant plus bar Night Jar said he would no longer keep Hideaway and Mr Hizola’s open on Christmas Eve.
“It’s bloody ridiculous. You can tell the Premier has never run a small business.
“A lot of people like to go out that night but it puts a lot of extra pressure on business owners to cope, paying double time and a half. It’s not a big money making night but people love to go out for a few drinks.”
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Mr Imlach said staff who worked Christmas Eve were those who “liked working it” and he would never make any work it who didn’t want to.
Justin Lane general manager Brodie Millwood said the only winners would be staff, with customers having to pay the price with a surcharge.
“It’s not ideal, those days don’t work out financially for us,” he said. “Justin Lane chooses to charge a surcharge on public holidays, and we trade as many as we can. As a consumer you have to cop that. You open and put a surcharge on or you don’t open at all.”
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Hellenika owner Simon Gloftis said a new holiday only added to a string of unprofitable days at the festive season.
“I’m not totally against it, I just think we’re the only ones that get punished. Staff benefit but they proably don’t because places will close and we’ll send them home early.
“We lose a lot of money over that period. The surcharge doesn’t come close to covering anything — anyone wants to have that argument, I’ll have it any day of the week.”
A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said she has said Christmas Eve was an important time for family, community and churches.
“Making it a public holiday triggers the ability for hospitality businesses to appy the same surcharges they would on all other public holidays,” the spokesman said.
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