Melbourne’s restaurant booking boom
Thanks to eased restrictions some Melbourne restaurants are turning down up to 100 reservations a day, but there’s an easy way you can secure a booking.
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Melbourne’s diners have returned in force to restaurants across the city and suburbs.
Since last Monday’s announcement that metropolitan Melbourne could return to dine-in trading, restaurants have reported taking a record numbers of bookings during this past week, with suburban restaurants reporting an 1859 per cent per cent increase in reservations compared with last week.
According to data compiled by restaurant booking service The Fork, Victoria accounted for more than half of all bookings taken across Australia over the past week, with the state making 55 per cent of the reservations on the site.
Across Victoria, bookings were up 53 per cent on last October. There was also a 119 per cent increase on bookings this week compared with pre-Covid numbers in January.
More than a third of all bookings were made for this weekend. Diners are, however, still staying local, with suburban restaurants making up 50 per cent of total bookings across the state.
But in positive signs life is slowly returning to the CBD, the city made up almost 40 per cent of total bookings.
Liz Grossi-Rodriguez said as soon as they announced Grossi restaurants would reopen the phones had been running hot.
“We had four people on the phones and they couldn’t keep up with the number of calls,” she said. “Obviously we book out very quickly with only 10 diners per space, but we’re taking bookings well into December. Our customers have been amazing. We’re welcoming them back but they’re welcoming us back, too.”
Chef Guy Grossi said it was wonderful to finally reopen the Grossi Grill, Cellar Bar and Ombra on Friday.
“The atmosphere was vibrant, full of energy, excitement. It reminded me of old Melbourne. The support from our guests has been overwhelming.”
Modern Australian and Italian restaurants were the most popular, such as Sugo in Malvern, which was one of the top four Melbourne restaurants on The Fork and has been turning away more than 100 bookings per day.
Sugo’s William Wan said it was good to welcome diners back to the 20-year-old restaurant.
“The response since we’ve been able to open has been amazing. Our customers are mostly local, they used to bring their kids here, and now they bring their grandkids,” he said.
The Fork Australia country manager Garry Burrows said it was clear Victorians wanted to support their favourite restaurants, but huge demand and restricted trading meant securing a reservation in the coming weeks could be difficult.
“To ensure you’re able to get a reservation at the restaurant you want, I’d look at making a booking during some of the off-peak times like midweek, where bookings are less competitive. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse for a long lunch,” he said.
For those keen to avoid crowds, he suggested taking an “early bird” dinner at 5pm, or a late meal after 8.30pm.
“Or venture back into the CBD, where we are seeing less bookings on The Fork than in the suburban neighbourhoods, which account for more than 50 per cent of bookings across Melbourne,” he said.
According to a nationwide survey by hospitality platform SevenRooms, diners are placing more importance on a restaurant’s health and safety priorities than the quality of its menu.
Almost three-quarters of Victorian diners have some concerns about dining out, but almost a third of all diners reported that technology, such as virtual menus and contactless payment, made them feel more comfortable.
Kim Teo, CEO of QR menu company Mr Yum, said as restaurants were operating at very limited capacity, it was important diners respected their bookings.
“It’s great to be organised and book ahead, but make sure you show up or give plenty of room if you’re cancelling, an empty seat is the worst thing a restaurant can have right now,” she said.
Many restaurants were asking for deposits to secure reservations, which Ms Teo said was a way to help the businesses plan and cater for the limited numbers.
“Enjoy your locals, but don’t linger too much – turning tables is the only way restaurants can stay profitable,” she said.
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