A recent survey showed restaurants are reporting losses of up to 60 per cent. Photo / 123rf
A recent survey showed restaurants are reporting losses of up to 60 per cent. Photo / 123rf
New Zealand's hospitality industry is taking a huge hit from Covid-19, losing around $10 million per week, according to the Restaurant Association New Zealand.
Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois told the Herald the industry is definitely feeling the impact of coronavirus, with 200 member restaurants on the brink of closure in coming weeks.
"At our last estimation, approximately $6 million per week is being lost by hospitality businesses, which has now increased to $10 million a week. A figure we expect to increase further as time goes on," Bidois says.
A recent survey showed that restaurants are reporting losses of up to 60 per cent. That may change with the government relief package, which Bidois said was "a good start".
"We hope that they will be willing to review this as time goes on but it will go a long way to assisting those that have been hit in the early stages.
Bidois says the hospitality industry contributes more than $11 billion annually to the New Zealand economy and "is one of the country's largest employers, so we'd really like to see them supported by the Government".
The association is offering hospitality businesses affected by the virus, free emergency membership. This will give them access to legal, payroll and marketing advice as well as on the ground support.
For would-be diners, Bidois says there is a call to keep showing support for people's favourite eateries as businesses move to develop meal-delivery options.
"At this time we are still encouraging people to support their local dining establishments while also being mindful of social distancing," says Bidois, adding people should still feel safe when dining out.
"We also know a number of businesses that are putting in place contactless delivery solutions so we encourage diners to contact their favourite local establishments to see what they are able to offer to those in self-isolation or that are concerned about being in public spaces."
Auckland restaurant Paris Butter is offering up pick-up meal orders for diners who want to avoid eating out, with packages including bread with truffle butter, a main and a dessert for $30.
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Owner of Auckland restaurants The Grove and Baduzzi Michael Dearth said he and his staff were being "ultra vigilant" on cleanliness and hygiene and were conscious of giving diners plenty of space in the dining room.
He said the main impact was on the clientele, many of whom are international visitors.
"As soon as we had the travel restrictions we had quite a few cancellations."
But Dearth says his team still want to be there for people who want to enjoy the restaurants.
"We already have the meatball truck for special events and deliveries, we'll now be promoting it even more.
