Table set for (level) two
For Nick and Kymberley Widley, lockdown meant a chance to step back and examine their Nelson bar and restaurant businesses from every angle.
‘‘Day to day, you don’t get a chance to take a full look at what you’re doing,’’ Nick said. ‘‘You can’t change a tyre on a car when it’s still moving; we’ve had time to give the car a full service.’’
The result is a makeover for their Cod & Lobster brasserie and service changes for their separate bar Kismet.
Today, the Government will announce whether New Zealand will enter level 2 on Wednesday. The loosening of restrictions will mean a return to shopping, eating out, weddings, domestic travel, schools, sport, and seeing friends: but with strict rules.
Last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced alert level 2 will be a ‘‘safer version of normal’’, designed to get as many people back to work as possible while keeping everyone safe.
For bars, restaurants and cafes, that means having no more than 100 visitors at a time, and each will need to be seated.
At the Widleys’ Kismet bar, contact tracing and strict hygiene and social distancing measures will be in place. But for customers, it will look a lot like normal.
With all customers seated, and no queue at the bar, everyone will be forced to slow down a little.
‘‘Table service only is a good thing for us, it gives us time to show what we’re good at,’’ Nick said.
With winter fast approaching, the couple were turning the new measures into positives, Kymberly said.
‘‘It’s a good time of year to sit on your bum; and it’s cosy.’’
However, their Trafalgar St eatery, Cod & Lobster Brasserie, will look very different. In fact, the restaurant is no more.
‘‘Cod & Lobster has served its last meal,’’ Nick said.
During lockdown, Nick did some number crunching. With overseas visitors making up a third of last year’s diners, the couple knew their eatery needed wider local appeal if it was to survive.
While some things will remain the same – the truffle fries, the gin bar – rebranded pop-up restaurant, Mama Cod, will offer sharing plates and nibbles, and a new children’s menu.
The couple had looked further afield to see what hospitality might look like in the coming months.
‘‘We’ve looked overseas at restaurants; there are things we no longer should do, like having salt and pepper on the tables, or tablecloths,’’ Kymberly said.
Mama Cod, which will open for takeaways on May 25, will remain a pop-up while the future is still unclear, Nick said.
‘‘We don’t know what’s going to happen in six months; we will actively react to the market.’’
Arden and Porta Via coowner, left.
Arden and Porta Via co-owner Lisa Penketh had her fingers crossed for a reopening this week.
Mindful of the level 2 restrictions, she was putting plans in place to streamline table service in her Hardy St restaurant.
‘‘We’re looking at everything: table service, staffing. We can’t wing it.’’
The wage subsidy had been ‘‘a miracle’’ for her businesses, Penketh said. However, she was philosophical about the upcoming months.
‘‘Nelson is quite quiet in the winter anyway, any business is an added bonus.’’
Richmond Mall manager Belinda de Clercq said she was looking forward to seeing the mall and its retailers open their doors.
‘‘I can’t wait, it’s been like a little ghost town the last few weeks.’’
Retailers were also excited to start trading, and were preparing stores ahead of a level 2 opening, she said.
Cleaning would be stepped up in stores and in mall common areas, and more hand sanitiser stations would be offered, de Clercq said.
While some of the businesses already optimised for online shopping had done a brisk trade over the past few weeks, others had struggled, she said.
‘‘We’re looking at everything: table service, staffing. We can’t wing it.’’ Lisa Penketh