Gold Coast restaurateur Daniel Ridgeway closes Coolangatta’s BiN 72 temporarily due to problems caused by Covid-19 restrictions

A prominent restaurateur who has lost two venues during the pandemic has closed a popular southern Gold Coast venue ‘until further notice’.

A hospitality heavyweight has again shut one of his venues following a tough two years for the sector.

Daniel Ridgeway has closed his Coolangatta restaurant BiN 72 until further notice.

An Instagram post said: “To all of our wonderful guests, unfortunately BiN 72 will be closed from now until further notice. We hope this is not yet goodbye, but a see you soon.

“We will update you all via social media when we know more.”

Daniel Ridgeway has closed his Coolangatta restaurant BiN 72 until further notice. Picture: Instagram

The post comes just weeks after the venue closed due to shortage of staff from Covid-19 restrictions.

In September last year BiN 72 closed until November 18.

At the time, Mr Ridgeway said the Tweed Covid-19 lockdown and Queensland border blockade caused patron numbers to plummet at The Strand eatery in Coolangatta.

Ridgeway, who owns Little Truffle Mermaid Beach, BiN 232 at Pacific Fair and What a Catch at Pacific Fair, lost Gotham Bar & Grill and Rivea in 2020.

Both were closed from the pressures of the pandemic restrictions on hospitality.

'LOSSES WERE JUST TOO HEARD': RESTAURANT CLOSES DOORS AS RESTRICTIONS BIT

September 2, 2021

A PROMINENT Gold Coast restaurateur has been forced to shut a popular venue for the time being due to big losses and because most of its managers have been trapped over the border.

BiN 72 will close after Sunday until November 18, or until Covid restrictions are eased.

Owner Daniel Ridgeway said the Tweed Covid-19 lockdown and Queensland border blockade has caused patron numbers to plummet at The Strand eatery in Coolangatta.

“Our managers are in New South Wales. Two-thirds of our trade has gone, or more,” he said.

Daniel Ridgeway pictured last year, ahead of the opening of What a Catch at Pacific Fair.

“I think people are hurting so much they’re not going out so much. We’ve had police stop people coming into our restaurant to make sure they’re on the right pass.

“The last thing we want to do is close. The losses were just too hard.

“People are so understanding – they know what’s going on.”

Mr Ridgeway, who expressed frustration the Tweed has been locked down despite zero virus cases, said many of BiN 72’s customers live in the shire, which is only separated from Coolangatta by a line on a map.

“It just makes zero sense to me. I thought the border bubble worked very well,” he said.

“In The Strand (shopping complex) so many businesses have closed because they can’t get staff in. They’re stuck in NSW.

‘”A good part of our customer base, the offices above us, they’re not even open because the staff aren’t there. That’s a big part of our lunch clientele.

Daniel Ridgeway in BiN 72 when he opened the restaurant in 2014. Located in The Strand – Coolangatta.

“Coolangatta and Tweed are very loyal to the area. They will come back. But we just can’t keep bleeding money and you’re not giving staff the hours to survive.”

Mr Ridgeway spoke from hotel quarantine at Sofitel Broadbeach after an urgent trip to Melbourne, where his young son underwent surgery for a medical condition.

He plans to “do a big relaunch” of BiN 72 and return “with a big bang” when possible after a deep clean and potential refurbishments.

The closure comes after a fairly tumultuous time for all of Mr Ridgeway’s venues after Covid hit home in early 2020.

“Every time we lock down the impact on stock is very significant. We lose thousands and thousands (of dollars) in stock,” he said.

“The impact has been significant but you just sort of navigate through it.

“If you want to survive you have to make the right calls.”

Mr Ridgeway, who opened BiN 72 about eight years ago, also owns Little Truffle at Mermaid Beach, Ridgeway Catering, as well as Bin 232 and What a Catch in Pacific Fair at Broadbeach.

BiN 72 workers have been redeployed to assist in Mr Ridgeway’s other hospitality ventures.

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