‘Dark kitchens’: Restaurants to serve takeaway food only amid coronavirus

The coronavirus crisis has devastated many businesses – but new rules announced today are helping NSW restaurants stay afloat.

The NSW Government is rolling out new rules to keep eateries in business as the COVID-19 crisis rages on.

New orders have been issued in the state to extend the ability of restaurants to serve takeaway food.

The orders will allow the unrestricted operation of so-called “dark kitchens” – restaurants and food businesses that serve food via takeaway and delivery only, without dine-in options – and essentially make it easier for those businesses to be set up and run.

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NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes issued the Environmental Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development – Takeaway Food and Beverages) Order 2020 to help out the food industry which has been particularly hard hit by the public health crisis.

Food businesses have been restricted to serving takeaway only for several weeks now in a bid to slow down the spread of the lethal virus.

“Right now, we can’t go out for dinner at our favourite restaurant, or grab a drink with friends at the local pub – and this has been devastating not only for customers, but more importantly, for the businesses themselves and their staff,” Mr Stokes said.

“That’s one of the reasons we’ve made it easier for people to set up and operate a dark kitchen in any existing commercial kitchen, providing they can abide by social distancing rules.

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes spoke about the new rules this morning. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

“These businesses could offer additional food delivery options for the increasing number of people working from home, or they could be used to produce greater quantities of meals for people in quarantine, or in medical, health or aged care facilities.”

A different order has also been announced which will allow food trucks to operate anywhere in the state, as long as land owners grant permission for their space to be used.

Food trucks previously faced tougher restrictions regarding when and where they could operate.

The measures were discussed by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Mr Stokes in a press conference today.

“The social distancing rules make it impossible for a restaurant to operate in the way it used to, but takeaway is an option,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We don’t want to tell businesses how they can and can’t innovate, that’s up to them, but we ask that they follow the social distancing rules.

“You can’t sit down and have a meal. A lot of businesses, rather than closing, have converted to takeaway, and that’s why we’ve allowed kitchens that were previously used for sitting at a restaurant to be used for takeaway and other purposes.”

While the changes seem small, it is hoped they will offer business owners greater flexibility during the unprecedented pandemic.