Lucky Bar + Kitchen's owner Andrew Rennie says Covid-19 restrictions will significantly impact his business. Photo / Bevan Conley
Lucky Bar + Kitchen's owner Andrew Rennie says Covid-19 restrictions will significantly impact his business. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui's hospitality operators have quickly moved to operating under Covid-19 level 2 restrictions but it is causing added anxiety with one saying prolonged restrictions may force them to close.
Lucky Bar owner Andrew Rennie re-opened the newly renovated bar on June 8 after taking over the ownership two days beforethe alert level 4 lockdown in March.
He said they had planned for Friday night to be a busy night but the lead singer of the band that was set to be performing is going to be stuck in Auckland due to their alert level 3 restrictions.
"We've now got nothing for Friday so we just hope people come in for dinner otherwise it's kind of killed that weekend," Rennie said.
Under alert level 2 all customers must remain seated, no dancing is allowed, there will be one person serving the table and customers are not allowed to come up to the bar to order drinks.
At the moment bars can only allow for 100 on the premises due to the restrictions.
"I'm not really hopeful we will be out of this but I'm praying that it is.
"We were relying on this weekend to get us back a bit because the school holidays slammed us and now this has happened, if it affects next weekend then we're already looking at restructuring just to make it through so if it all goes worse then i don't think we will be staying open."
Businesses now have to display a QR code for people to scan in with the NZ Covid Tracer App. Photo / Bevan Conley
Owner of the Funky Duck Cafe Dave Hill, who is in the process of selling the cafe as he looks to retire, said they had a number of inquiries about the cafe but says they may be put on hold after the latest announcements.
"The thing that worries me and other operators both in retail and hospitality is last time we had the wage subsidy. This time around if we go into a prolonged level 2, but certainly at level 3, if we don't get a wage subsidy there will be a lot of redundancies.
"Unless they borrow or print off a whole lot of more money which is bad for the country in the long-term, then a lot of businesses are going to be really screwed."
"Even if they did provide a subsidy, the nature of the virus it is going to keep coming back time and time again, until we have a vaccine or herd immunity. Until that happens it's going to keep hitting again and again."
Jennifer Gilbertson-Small from Rutland Hotel wants people to still dine out and catch up with friends under Level 2. Photo / Bevan Conley
Jennifer Gilbertson-Small, owner of the Rutland Arms Inn said it had removed some tables to get the social distancing required, but a lot of their cleaning and hygiene practices they have put in place since the last lockdown.
"The biggest thing for us is you can't come up to the bar and get alcohol at the moment but other than that we are reasonably business as usual, it's affected our accommodation quite significantly but the restaurant not so much."
She said they do not want to go down the lockdown path again but the support coming back from it from the community has been massive.
"Business has been booming so to have that tap turned off all of a sudden gives you huge anxiety."
"Until we go into lockdown again you still want to be getting out there with your friends and we're doing our bit to make that all safe as possible for everyone and we just encourage people to keep spending like they have been and keep the money going around which keeps everyone in a better position."
*Meanwhile, the opening event of Andrea du Chatenier's exhibition Eigenleben, which was planned for Friday 14 August at the Sarjeant Gallery has been postponed.
The accompanying Artist's Talk with Andrea on Saturday, August 15 is also postponed.
Organisers said they sincerely apologise for any inconvenience.
"If at all possible when the situation allows, the opening and talk will be rescheduled."
