HOOK, LINE AND STINKER
Owner’s fury as Comm Games work shuts fish restaurant
A RESTAURANT has been forced to shut for three months with more than a dozen staff laid off because of work taking place at the Aquatic Centre in Southport ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Fish Shak owner Justin Allie said he never expected the “scale of the impact” the Games would have on his business.
A RESTAURANT owner forced to close for three months and lay off up to 17 staff says his business is a “casualty” of the Commonwealth Games.
The owner of The Fish Shak, Justin Allie, said he never expected the Games to have such a major impact on his Broadwater Parklands business.
Speaking to the Bulletin after announcing the restaurant’s closure in an angry Facebook post, Mr Allie said while the council lease he signed in 2016 contained a Games closure clause, he believed the shutdown would be much shorter.
“The dates thrown around were roughly six weeks – two for the Games and two either side,” he said.
“Now it’s pretty much double and that doesn’t include the loss of trade we’ve already experienced due to the construction being done on the (nearby) Aquatic Centre.
“The capacity of the car park has been reduced to about 40 per cent for weeks … from the week prior to Australia Day, we may as well not even have been here. It’s a dead zone.
“We never comprehended the scale of the impact the Games would have on our business.”
A council spokeswoman said it had been engaging with Mr Allie for several months and a Games closure period was included in the lease.
“The lessee was notified six months ago that the closure period would be from late February until late May,” she said.
“In acknowledgment of the impact to the business, the City has waived rent for the closure period.
“Recently the City was notified by the lessee that the business will close two weeks earlier than required. The rent will also be waived for those two weeks.”
Mr Allie said up to 17 employees would lose their jobs due to the lengthy shutdown period.
“I’ve got 21 staff and I’ve only been able to afford to retain four or five of them,” he said.
“They’re on salary so I’ll have them working at my other shop (Surfers Paradise’s Longboards Laidback Eatery & Bar). I don’t want to lose them so I’ve had to go top heavy on my wages bill.”
Mr Allie, who has invested $1.5 million into The Fish Shak, said he had asked council for a rent-free peri-
od post-Games to compensate for his loss of business.
“I’m not trying to cause trouble but I don’t think people are aware just how much impact the Games is having on small businesses around the city,” he said.
“I understand the Games is a lot bigger than us but is council prepared to do anything not only for us but every other small business being directly impacted?”