As the bar industry faces bleak times with the COVID-19 pandemic, we spoke to a few bar owners about how their businesses are working through the coronavirus and what you can do to support them.
Door Knock During COVID-19 – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Natalie Ng of Door Knock says, “Like most reputable licensed venues, we have always had a high standard of OH&S and sanitisation procedures anyway. However, during this outbreak we have taken extra measures, having hand sanitisers available for both patrons and staff members at every wash station, and weekly professional sanitation cleans of the venue from top to bottom. We will always have our customers safety in mind, while delivering great drinks, food and service.”
“We have had to limit all our stock orders and stopped all non-essential spending,” says Jared Huk of Births and Deaths in Wollongong. “We haven’t reduced any staff hours but we have had to cancel or postpone three events (a takeover of PS40 and 2 gin tasting nights). We are providing hand sanitisers for customers and staff and have made staff aware to be vigilant with all cleaning procedures. Luckily we are a small tables service venue, where customer interactions are minimal.”
“The city is grinding to a halt and many of the venues around us are seeing foot traffic fall drastically,” say Chau Tran of Burrow Bar in Sydney. “Our team are taking a proactive approach to seating people at a reasonable distance, anti bacterial spray will is being sprayed on all surfaces that hands will touch frequently every hour (door handles, toilet resurfaces, taps) as well as surfaces the patrons and staff work and are seated in. We’re brainstorming diversifying our revenue streams as well. I hope everyone can rally behind small business in this worrying time. We’ve just survived a traumatic summer and we’re heading into a rather dark autumn.”
“In Cairns we currently have no confirmed cases of Covid-19 which is lucky since we have an international airport and rely heavily on tourism,” says Matthew Bonasia of Laneway Green in Cairns. “The town is still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Laneway Green is a locals’ bar and our trade has been unaffected at this time. Therefore, it is business as usual for us.”
“My first priority is the health and safety of my team, getting everyone on the same page with personal health/hygiene and service practices” says Noriel Calub (Noz) of High Jinks in Canberra. “It’s standard cleaning practise as usual with revised service procedures to help reinforce the social responsibility of making sure my guest feel at ease and comfortable is critical – An OCD approach to venue cleanliness; wiping/sanitising and removing complimentary snacks is key, along with removing the house prepped antipasto and cheese platters. Pay pass transactions only and hand soap by every wash basin along with paper towels and having separate tea-towels for drying hands, polishing glassware and wiping down surfaces with a focus on wiping down tables and seats after a guest has left. I’ve minimised the capacity of the venue from 60 to 20 persons to give a more private setting and I’ll drive more promos towards cocktail classes and advertise on having a ‘private bar for you and mates’ allowing to have fun in a venue with people you can trust.”
“We’ve decided to help ends meet at Blue Kahunas to offer at home private cocktail classes practising safe hygiene & social distancing,” says Co-Owner Prudence Farquhar. “We too like other small businesses have to adapt to the next few months to hopefully be able to pay our team and bills. Cocktail classes ranging from 1-5 friends, any requests we’ll make work. Even if you’re looking for a private bartender to make bangin’ cocktails for an evening at home, we can assist. We also have gift vouchers for sale if looking to support us over this period and we’ll be slingin’ cocktails again in no time.”
