Central Victorian business owners are scrambling to adapt to the postponed easing of certain COVID-19 restrictions.
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Sonya Kuchel, owner of the Foundry Hotel and Mister Bobs Sports Bar, said everyone's hearts dropped with the news on Saturday that, contrary to original plans, venues would no longer see the patron limit lifted.
In response to a spike in new coronavirus cases, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the change in restrictions that would allow venues to have 50 patrons per enclosed space from Monday was deferred for three weeks, leaving the limit at 20 people.
The Foundry Hotel and Mister Bobs Sports Bar is set to reopen on Tuesday, June 23, having been closed for three months.
"We're pretty devastated and we've just worked so hard to get to this point," Mrs Kuchel said.
More news: COVID-19 restrictions tighten again
The team behind the venue met on Sunday afternoon and decided to continue with the reopening on Tuesday, but with a limited menu, rather than the full menu originally planned.
"We've taken a huge amount of forward bookings for the next three weeks," Mrs Kuchel said.
On some nights they had already reached the 50-person limit, Mrs Kuchel said, so some bookings would have to be cancelled.
Business will take a financial hit as a result of the change in restrictions.
"For the numbers to decrease to 20, it will have a big financial impact," Mrs Kuchel said.
Staff had also been excited to get back to work, she said.
But she said her business was fortunate in that it had a larger floor space to work with than many other hotels and had made modifications to create areas that qualified as single spaces, to expand the number of people allowed in the entire venue.
She said she hoped the business would be able to weather the following weeks.
"We just felt we were getting back on our feet," Mrs Kuchel said.
Meanwhile, the people behind Eaglehawk's Star Cinema will meet on Monday to determine whether they should go ahead with their reopening, scheduled for Tuesday, June 30.
"We were operating on the assumption we'd be able to accommodate 50 people safely," chair Granton Hay said.
The cinema would run at a loss were it to open to only 20 people, Mr Hay said, so the decision was whether they were willing and able to absorb that loss for a few weeks, or wait until restrictions ease again.
Other businesses have decided to postpone their reopening, among them the Lockington Hotel.
The pub announced on social media on Sunday it would no longer reopen on Friday, June 26 as planned, following news of the restriction changes.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
