Eateries support hospitality voucher scheme to help the fun return

TERRITORY traders say a hospitality voucher scheme would help people enjoy life again without having to dip into their savings.

Good Thanks owners Alex and Edward James think vouchers given to locals to use on food and drinks would be beneficial to all, as NT hospitality venues reopen in stages. Picture: Justin Kennedy

• Hospitality peak body calls for voucher scheme to promote spending

TERRITORY traders say a hospitality voucher scheme would help people enjoy life again without having to dip into their savings.

Cafe 21 owner Jenny Um said her two cafes on Smith St didn’t receive the rush she expected as venues opened up for patrons to dine in for the first time in two months.

“People are still very cautious … they’re cautious of spending their disposable income, or their lack of disposable income,” she said.

“(A voucher scheme) encourages people to go out and have more fun without hurting their financial situation.

“Something like that isn’t only financial contribution to the business, it’s financial contribution to the community.”

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She said it was important for people to enjoy life again but people couldn’t put it all in the Government’s hands and needed to take responsibility in rebuilding the economy.

“I think it’s a great benefit for mental wellbeing, this whole episode has affected a lot of people mentally just as much as it has financially,” she said.

“Any assistance at all would definitely help.

“At Woolies all the Homebrand products are always first to go. It demonstrates the climate as tougher than we anticipated, people are penny pinching.”

Burger restaurant Good Thanks owner Alex James had a steady weekend, with the joint’s takeaway service running strong during the lockdowns.

He said a lot of people would be staying home for a while despite the doors opening on cafes restaurants and pubs, with a voucher incentive scheme helping people get back to their local venues.

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“It’d be our way of giving back to private citizens instead of businesses. That takeaway would be a nice stimulus in getting money to the people,” he said.

“It’s a good pro-quo (system), you have businesses benefiting and people benefiting, feeling as though they are getting a night out.”