Cafes struggling to stay afloat during coronavirus crisis without further support, survey shows
THE majority of cafe owners in Australia say they won’t be able to bounce back from the economic impacts of COVID-19 without additional financial support, according to a new report.
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THE majority of cafe owners in Australia say they won’t be able to bounce back from the economic impacts of COVID-19 without additional financial support, according to a new report.
The Harris Cafe Report, released this week, found cafes have been among the hardest hit by the COVID restrictions, with 80 per cent of small business owners in hospitality (the majority being cafe owners) saying they won’t be able to recover without third-party assistance.
The report also revealed about 40 per cent of survey respondents said they did not expect they would be able to stay open for longer than six months without support, and more than half of respondents have lost 50 per cent or more of their revenue over the past few months.
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The report also found cafes were incredibly important to the community, with 71 per cent of Australians saying they would spend more at their local cafe now compared to pre-lockdown if it helped keep them open, and 70 per cent said they were worried cafes would never be the same again.
Darwin’s Salty Plum Cafe owner Mataihau Ah Mat said although the Territory was not hit as hard by COVID-19 restrictions as other places, he still saw a 50 per cent drop in revenue.
“Which is huge for anyone,” he said.
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“We’re a takeaway-only cafe anyway … but after the reopening it was like we couldn’t compete.”
He urged people to support small local businesses as much as possible during this time.
“It is harder for us than the bigger companies,” Mr Ah Mat said.
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