Chapel St: Punk Carla, Jane Doe owners brace for more losses despite reopening
Two Chapel St bar traders say they won’t break even opening under the present restrictions, with tight capacity limits making it difficult for them to recoup losses. But they are doing it anyway as the city emerges from lockdown.
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Chapel St bar owners will welcome back customers this week despite fears they will lose more money due to tight capacity limits.
But they are confident the strip will eventually reclaim its crown as one of Melbourne’s biggest nightlife precincts.
And Stonnington Council is set to make part of nearby Greville St car-free from next week to boost outdoor dining and venues in the street.
The State Government gave the green light for bars to re-open from Wednesday, October 28, with a limit to 10 people per space or section, and a maximum of 20 people in the entire venue.
Windsor’s Punk Carla opened in November last year and lost six months of trade due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Owner Nick Yannas said the bar would open on Friday despite the Government allowing trading from Wednesday.
Mr Yannas said he would be lucky to break even under the capacity limits.
“The bills are still there, but we need to start generating an income,” he said.
“We’re pumped up and excited, but we have to build up again and we have to hope for the best.
Mr Yannis felt Chapel Street’s bars would help re-establish the strip’s nightlife scene until nightclubs re-open.
“Because the big venues are not open, they have nowhere else to go, and this (the bar scene) will still be the drawcard,” he said.
“These people have to go somewhere and we have to take advantage of that and get them into our place.”
Shannon Sanderson, owner of Prahran’s Jane Doe, said he would re-open his bar on Wednesday afternoon and also didn’t expect to break even under the limits.
“It requires a lot more staff, hours and power than previously needed, yet we’re at a 75 per cent reduction in capacity,” he said.
“It’s not worth it in terms of trying to pay back a whole year’s worth of expenses, but it is worth it to stay open and give our many returning customers and our staff that feeling that we’re still here.
“You look at it as a loss leader and we’ll probably be doing that for over a year.”
Mr Sanderson said it would take time for him and his staff to readjust to operations prior to the virus outbreak.
“It’s going to be a lot of rebuilding habits for all of us … we need to relearn how to be on our feet for 12 hours,” he said.
Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus urged visitors to support the strip’s bars and other businesses following the lifting of restrictions.
“Now more than ever do we need people to support our local businesses as they start their climb out of debt,” she said.
The council’s chief executive, Jacqui Weatherill, said it had invested more than $5 million in initiatives to support local businesses through the coronavirus outbreak.
She said it would close off Prahran’s Greville St - between Macquarie Street and Izett Street -to vehicles from Monday to boost outdoor dining space for venues, with only foot traffic allowed.
Ms Weatherill said a similar closure was also being planned in the near future on Armadale’s Beatty Ave.
She said the council was liaising with its economic recovery committee and would announce an “activation plan” to bring more people to Chapel St and other hot spots over summer.
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