Losses ‘just too hard’ says restaurateur after temporary closure

THE doors to a popular restaurant have been closed temporarily due to big losses and because most of its managers are trapped over the border.

BIN 72 will close after Sunday until November 18, or until Covid restrictions are eased.

Owner Daniel Ridgeway said the Tweed lockdown and Queensland border blockade had caused patron numbers to plummet at The Strand eatery in Coolangatta.

“Our managers are in NSW. Two-thirds of our trade has gone, or more,” he said.

“I think people are hurting so much they’re not going out so much. We’ve had police stop people coming into our restaurant to make sure they’re on the right passes.

“The last thing we want to do is close. The losses were just too hard.

“People are so understanding, they know what’s going on.”

Mr Ridgeway, who expressed frustration the Tweed had been locked down despite zero virus cases, said many of BIN 72’s customers lived in the shire, which is separated from Coolangatta only by a line on a map.

“It just makes zero sense to me. I thought the border bubble worked very well. In The

Strand (shopping complex) so many businesses have closed because they can’t get staff in. They’re stuck in NSW.

“A good part of our customer base, the offices above us, they’re not open because the staff aren’t there. That’s a big part of our lunch clientele.

“Coolangatta and Tweed are very loyal. They will come back, but we can’t keep bleeding money and you’re not giving staff the hours to survive.”

Mr Ridgeway spoke from hotel quarantine at Sofitel Broadbeach after an urgent trip to Melbourne, where his young son underwent surgery for a medical condition.

He plans for “a big relaunch” of BIN 72.

The closure comes after a tumultuous time for all of Mr Ridgeway’s venues after Covid first hit in early 2020.

“Every time we lock down the impact on stock is very significant. We lose thousands and thousands (of dollars) in stock,” he said.

“If you want to survive you have to make the right calls.”

Mr Ridgeway, who opened BIN 72 eight years ago, also owns Little Truffle at Mermaid Beach, Ridgeway Catering as well as Bin 232 and What a Catch in Pacific Fair at Broadbeach. BIN 72 workers have been redeployed to help in his other hospitality ventures.