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Auckland cafes and restaurants rely on people to return to city offices below level 2.
The nation’s largest city will go to Alert Level 2 at 11:59 pm on Sunday after being at Alert Level 3 for 2½ weeks.
Ika Bowl co-owner Ra Beazley said his three restaurants were on track to generate $ 1 million in revenue in 2019, but since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he had to close a store and lay off half of his 16 employees.
Beazley said that under Tier 3 restrictions, revenue at its two central Auckland restaurants fell by 80 percent, as both its Fort St and Wynyard Quarter stores relied heavily on office workers.
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“We have barely had cash flow for six months. We tried to stay optimistic, but when level 3 happened, we ran out of energy, “said Beazley.
“There is no confidence in the corporate market. Companies have adapted to having their staff work from home thanks to Covid-19 and are in no rush to send them back. “
The latest figures from eftpos showed that spending in central Auckland, during the week ending 23 August, on restaurants fell by 90 percent, compared to the same period last year.
David White / stuff
Ika Bowl co-owner Ra Beazley says official workers made up the majority of the customer base at his two central Auckland restaurants.
A recent survey from Colliers International showed that 37 percent of workers wanted to work remotely for 1-2 days a week and many had been before alert level 3.
Takapuna Beach Business Association Executive Director Terence Harpur said working from home had also greatly affected other city centers.
“Think about the impact of keeping staff at home in urban centers like ours … We need everyone to go back to the office,” Harpur said.
“Watching locals, visitors and employees return to Auckland’s 50+ urban centers this week will be a sight for sore eyes. We really appreciate everyone’s support in advance, ”he said.
Coffix Hurstmere owner Belinda Hall had been unable to operate her coffee shop in Auckland’s North Shore city center, Takapuna, during Level 3 due to restricted space.
Hall said office workers were an important part of Coffix’s business.
“Before level 3 we saw the return of many office workers returning to the center of the city. Confidence was growing just before level 3, ”Hall said.
unpack
Figures from Eftpos showed that spending in central Auckland, for the week ending August 23, on restaurants fell by 90 percent compared to the same period last year.
Hall was prepared to operate below level 2, as it had done earlier this year, but expected a slow trickle of corporate workers.
“I expect less office staff this week. There will still be a lot of people working from home and some companies have international policies that do not allow them to work from the office, ”Hall said.
“It will be difficult to go back to the days before Covid, but we are all in this together. I’ve seen a lot of sympathy for local businesses and businesses, which has been encouraging. “
Beazley said that as people returned to the city centers, he hoped customers would have more compassion for small businesses operating in financial distress.
“Don’t scold us if things aren’t exactly the same as before. Some of our suppliers have not been able to receive shipments from abroad. Everyone is trying so hard. “
Abigail dougherty
Auckland will go to Alert Level 2 at 11:59 pm Sunday after being at Alert Level 3 for 2½ weeks.
Beazley said her business relied on a two-week financial cushion to get things back on track, to avoid closing her Fort St.
He said that supporting local businesses in the city centers was as important as the suburbs.
Level 2 rules
- Restaurants and bars can open and have capacity for 100 people, but cannot serve groups of more than 10.
- The three S’s are back in play: clients must be seated, separated, and have a single server.
- Shopping will be allowed, but physical distance will need to be maintained in retail stores, with people staying at least 1 meter, but ideally 2 meters between them.
- Cinemas, stadiums, concert halls, and casinos can open with more than 100 people at a time, as long as there are no more than 100 people in a defined space and the groups do not mix. A cinema, for example, could show different films, as long as there are no more than 100 people at each screening.
- Businesses must display a QR code and have an alternative contact tracking system.
- Covering your face is strongly recommended if you are in close contact with other people.
