Crown's grand plan to keep diners safe
Melbourne's most-famous dining precincts are keen to welcome back diners, and actress Olympia Valance says she’ll be first in line. See which restaurants are reopening.
Fiona Byrne
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Restaurants are ready to re-open, with one Chapel St eatery so keen it will feed a chosen few at one minute past midnight on Monday, in celebration of coronavirus restrictions finally being lifted from tomorrow.
Entertainment and dining giant Crown will welcome diners back from Friday, and Playing For Keeps star Olympia Valance will be among the first in line.
She said she was excited to be able to dine once again at Crown.
Crown has implemented dozens of strict new procedures to keep people safe as some of its most celebrated restaurants reopen.
Nobu, Bistro Guillaume, Conservatory, Gradi and Merrywell Burger Bar will all open from Friday, with bookings essential.
Safety will be on the menu with buffets banned, single use menus dumped, random temperature checks of guests at restaurants, physical distancing rules in place in venues, and guests required to provide contact details to assist in rapid contact tracing.
Restaurant group bookings will be limited to a maximum of six people at any one table and cleaning will be conducted regularly across the complex with an emphasis on high contact surfaces and frequently used areas. Tables and chairs will be cleaned between each seating.
The management and staff of South Yarra restaurant Caffe E Cucina can’t wait until daylight tomorrow to open, and will feed their first return customers at one minute past midnight.
In doing so, the well-known and loved Italian restaurant will likely be the first Victorian venue to throw open its doors after the COVID-19 lockdown, which has devastated the State’s hospitality industry.
Owner Arthur Georgiou said changes to the restaurant’s seating plans both up and downstairs had been made in preparation for reopening.
Like most Melbourne restaurants and cafes, he had “some trepidation” about gearing up again in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the strict customer caps and social distancing regulations which needed to be observed.
“But we’ve got an amazing and very loyal following because we’ve been here for 32 years, so we hope we will be OK … but only time will tell,” he said.
Many restaurants are going to great lengths to keep diners and staff safe as they emerge from COVID-19 hibernation.
Crown has also appointed COVID-19 Response Manager along with a COVID-19 Operations Team and all staff will undertake a COVID-19 training course.
Crown Resorts Chief Executive Officer, Ken Barton, said the staged reopening of Crown’s restaurants would see hundreds of staff return to work.
“We are still working out shifts and configurations to make sure we comply with all the requirements for social distancing that will be put in place, . but it will be in the hundreds,” Mr Barton said.
“If you looked around the large companies we were probably one of the most significantly affected (by the shutdown).
“We have got 12,500 employees and we have had to stand down fully or partially almost 12,000 of those. It has been a huge impact.”
Mr Barton said Crown was delighted to be welcoming back guests.
“Our team is looking forward to doing what they do best in this new environment, creating many more memorable experiences for the people of Melbourne as they have done for the last 25 years,” he said.
CROWN MELBOURNE RESTAURANTS OPEN FROM 5 JUNE 2020
Nobu
Friday – Sunday
Midday – 11pm
Lunch and dinner service
Reduced menu
Bookings essential
Bistro Guillaume
Friday – Sunday
Midday – 10pm
Lunch and dinner service
Reduced menu
Bookings essential
Gradi
Friday – Sunday
Midday – 10pm
Lunch and dinner service
Reduced menu
Bookings essential
Conservatory
7 days a week
7am – Midday
A la carte breakfast service and takeaway coffee
Merrywell Burger Bar
Friday – Sunday
Midday – 9pm
In-venue dining service and takeaway