Melbourne bars: Berlin Bar, Goldilocks opening hours cut by staff shortages

Melbourne bar owners say they can’t get enough staff to open full time, despite customers queuing out the door. Here’s the problem.

Several Melbourne bars have not resumed normal trading hours because the staff shortage caused by international students and workers leaving the city.

Hospitality venues across the Melbourne CBD are being prevented from opening full time because they can’t get enough staff.

Despite queues out the door, bar owners have told The Melbourne City News that without backpackers – who make up a significant proportion of their staff – they simply cannot open full time, despite the ease in lockdown restrictions.

Swantston St rooftop bar Goldilocks is filled to capacity with lines out the door, but the seated bar and restaurant downstairs, House of Correction, remains closed due to staff shortages.

“House of Correction downstairs is closed at the moment because we don’t have enough staff.

It’s very frustrating, but what can we do, it’s a problem everywhere at the moment,” owner Tiffy Sze said.

“There is a huge shortage in staff which we are trying to working on, but hopefully the border opens very soon.

“Staffing is the main problem – otherwise we have no other issues.”

One of Melbourne’s favourite secret bars, Berlin Bar, will only open three nights a week for now because finding staff across the city has become difficult.

“It’s really hard to get staff, all the international workers have left the country,” manager Cédric Bardou said

“It’s pretty much impossible to find staff at the moment, so we are opening three days a week.

“We are very busy, it’s full on, but (International workers) made up 70 per cent of staff.”

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said staffing had been a challenge for the hospitality sector and council would continue talks on ways to bring international visitors back.

“As more people come into the city I think we’ll see businesses be able to open for longer, but there are challenges around being able to bring their staff and their teams back together,” she said.

“We will continue to work with the state government and the federal government on ways we can welcome people from overseas … international students who played a major role in our hospitality sector and other visa holders who can come back in to really bring and help bring that vibrancy back into our city economy.”

Melbourne City Council has unveiled a visitor focused festive schedule to entice more people back to the CBD and maximise the number staying to eat and drink.

As part of an economic recovery plan to maximise Christmas trading, the council is exploring a scheme to give residents vouchers to spend on dining, shopping and entertainment in the CBD.

Recent reports say Victoria is now preparing for the return of international flights from December 7.

A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said: “In preparation for the resumption of international flights to Victoria, we are running a series of location-based exercises to test our new processes and practices.”

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