Pain for region’s eateries

RESTAURATEURS are taking a long hard look at the future as the closed borders and social distancing becomes an everyday reality.

Ochre’s Craig Squire said he spent three hours cancelling function bookings on Monday after Prime Minister Scott Morrison banned nonessential social gathering on Sunday.

“It was

Squire said.

“The local support is out there but I think people will start socially distancing themselves. It is going to be tough.”

Ochre has built a reputation on the quality of its catering services – a revenue stream that has been snatched away by social distancing.

“Functions are gone, there are no international tourists except for those who are already in town,” Mr Squire said.

“Sunday was a game changer – we were ticking along with a possible slight loss scenario and then with the shutdown pretty much everything has depressing,” Mr been cancelled.”

Further north, Nick Holloway of Palm Cove’s Nu Nu Restaurant has held crisis strategy meetings with his department heads.

“It’s pretty rough but we still have people coming through the door,” Mr Holloway said.

“We are changing our mindset now, it has been really emotional but this is what we prepare for; it is real and it is happening now.

“I am confident the system will hold out; there is plenty of food in Australia and we aren’t close to martial law.”

President of the Australian Culinary Federation Brian Down said casual workers in the food and beverage industry would suffer in the coming months.

“It is going to be really hard for casuals,” Mr Down said.

“They are the first ones to be laid off.”

He said the ACF had cancelled its lunch functions “until further notice” with the Prime Minister’s announcement.

“We don’t want 40 people sitting in a dining room together,” Mr Down said.