Trade still slow after quake, says restaurateur

The dust and mess from demolition work are keeping diners away from the inner city. Photo / Greg Bowker

Three weeks after the Canterbury earthquake, Michael Turner says the turnover of his central Christchurch restaurant remains 40 per cent below its normal level.

The owner of Cafe Valentino and president of the Restaurant Association's Canterbury branch says many people remain reluctant to travel into the inner city to dine out.

"It's a mess - there are still roads blocked off and it's becoming increasingly dusty as buildings are demolished," he said. "If you can sit in a hospitality operation attached to a mall, with nothing to remind you of the earthquake, then how nice is that?"

Turner said Cafe Valentino received "significant damage" in the disaster.

Its restaurant reopened 13 days after the earthquake, he said, while the bar would remain closed for three more weeks.

Turner said the restaurant's 30 staff were back on the job, although some were working reduced hours.

The quake came at the end of what had been one of the worst winters for business he could remember. September was usually the time of year when business began to improve in the leadup to Christmas, he said.

Turner said many Christchurch restaurants had put to bed any hopes of a major pickup in trade this year.

"Some of those [restaurants] won't survive."

Turner's comments followed those of Canterbury Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend, who yesterday said around 150 small businesses in the city were facing imminent failure.

He said the main issues facing businesses were a lack of customers and access problems caused by quake damage. Townsend said some businesses that needed to move to new sites faced major difficulties because replacement premises were unavailable.

Retailers Association head John Alberton said central Christchurch businesses seemed to be bearing the brunt of a downturn in trade as customers avoided the area.

"As soon as retailers start losing cash flow all their costs start bouncing back up on them and life becomes difficult."