RESTAURATEUR Raffaele Velardo loves flying surfboards and “thinking outside the box”.
With new hospitality restrictions he is delivering his family’s Italian cuisine to Coast waterfront homes via eFoil.
Alfresco Italian, a 200-seated, family-owned Surfers Paradise restaurant, has been operating since 1992 and never had a “quiet night”.
But with the coronavirus pandemic revenue has dropped by more than 80 per cent.
The restaurant manager said he did not want to shut his doors, rather keep his staff employed and make Gold Coasters smile “during this tough time”.
“We are trying to keep on keeping on but we needed to change things up a bit and have a laugh.”
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Mr Velardo said he had reinvented the wheel and is offering a pre-cooked “Alfresco At Home” meal range and free home delivery by road and water.
“It is still business as usual but with a twist of creativity,” he said.
“We all are going to get through this – we just have to stick together and be kind.”
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