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How NEWTOWN’S BARS are adapting to COVID-19 and social distancing Page 1-2
BY MADISON BEHRINGER ince March 23 our beloved pubs, clubs and local bars have been forced to shut down following the COVID-19 restrictions put in place by the Federal Government. For many businesses this has meant closing the doors all together while waiting out the storm, but for others, relaxed restrictions on takeaway alcohol have given local bars the option to stay open for delivery and takeaway. On April 15 the NSW Government published a “Frequently Asked Questions” release on the Liquor & Gaming NSW site addressing the questions raised by business owners in relation to the new relaxed laws. According to the site, small bars and other licenced restaurants and cafes are now able to sell takeaway and delivery alcohol thanks to the Deputy Secretary of the Better Regulation Division of the Department of Customer Service. The rules are not made clear though with no
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limits on the amount of alcohol a venue can sell to punters and no indications on how long these new restrictions will last. Several local bars in the Newtown and Erskineville area are keeping their doors as open as possible and are continuing to offer cocktails, drinks and food via new takeaway and home delivery systems. Most venues have had to scramble to adapt to the new regulations with their business models completely changing during these unprecedented times. Much-loved local company Young Henrys located in Newtown are offering free home delivery for online orders made over $100 ensuring everyone is stocked up on their “#quarantinnies”. Other small bars in the area are also following suit and providing home delivery service, especially for cocktails. Earl’s Juke Joint on King Street, Newtown have found a new source
of revenue through their cocktail and beverage delivery service put in place ahead of the March 23 lockdown. Owneroperator of Earl’s Juke Joint Pasan Wijesena told City Hub, “we made the decision to start doing takeaway and delivery before any relief measures were officially announced, so initially it was a method of survival and trying to add a revenue stream as our in-venue trade was dwindling due to the social distancing laws.” Pasan went on to say, “I’ve put so much into this place that I want to do everything I can to make sure I gave it my best effort to make it through, and to try and turn this negative into a positive.” Instead of opting to use a delivery service like UberEats and forfeiting revenue, Earl’s Juke Joint are delivering their drinks in-house, with staff dropping orders off to the locals themselves. Pasan said, “customers get a kick out of having their drinks delivered by the guys
who make the drinks and normally serve them at the bar… it allows us to keep our prices competitive and it’s all in-house.” The Hive Bar in Erskineville is another local business that has taken a hit as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Since March 23 the bar has been operating out of a “takeaway window” where locals are able to grab their favourite food and cocktails. Director and Licensee of The Hive Bar Adam Parker told City Hub it was touch and go for a few days. “At first, we just tried to sell all the stock that we had, because they hadn’t even announced that we could sell takeaway alcohol yet. We were ready to pack up shop for a few months,” he said, going on to say: “After we’d packed everything up they announced that we could serve takeaway cocktails so we thought we’d better have a go of it.” Continued on page 2