COLUMN // Dealing with Coronavirus
Dealing with COVID -19 The impacts of Coronavirus are devastating restaurants — but Ho Jiak’s Junda Khoo is forging ahead. WORDS Junda Khoo WE CHOSE NOT to close down for a
it hasn’t changed the fact Chinatown is still
changing up our specials and putting on
lot more than money. I would lose my loyal
and we’re in Chinatown, so they think it’s the
make money, but we’re giving the people
temporary period because we would lose a customers who come in every week, and
more importantly, I would lose my team.
Our sales went down by 40 per cent after
the news of the Coronavirus came out and there was also a warning for Legionnaires disease in Haymarket, so it was a double
hit. It might have affected us by 40 per cent, but I’m guessing people who don’t have the brand we have would be impacted even
more. A lot of them have chosen to close for a period or even for good.
I’m really grateful and thankful for my
dead. People associate the virus with China worst place to be; the whole area is quiet.
People have been treated and recovered
from the virus, but fear is something none
It’s not about making money right now; it’s about helping the fishermen so the product can be moved and people will order more.
chefs and workers who understand what
of us can control. I want to put my foot
to take a break and not work for a week or
this at all. It doesn’t matter what race you
I’m going through. Some of them agreed
two. We’re spreading shifts out, so rather
than 38 hours, people are doing 20 hours
down and say racism doesn’t play a part in are — if you’re afraid, you’re afraid.
dishes that are labour intensive and don’t what they want. We’re charging $100/kg
for crabs which were $180/kg before. It’s not about making money right now; it’s
about helping the fishermen so the product can be moved and people will order more. I own the restaurant myself, so it’s
important for owners to just survive right now. There’s nothing we can do about it and it’s going to take time, but we have to do our best to manage the costs and
manage staffing so we don’t lose too much money. We try to keep the losses to a
minimum and break even to get through this period.
Sales have picked up by 10 per cent
after all the media coverage, but we’re still
a week instead. I’ve lost a few workers
The export industry has definitely been
blame them.
go out every day. We can’t get marron or
out instead of choosing to stay at home.
we have to order in advance.
in Chinatown to bring things back to
who have taken jobs elsewhere, but I don’t
Although the media has helped get people to come out and eat at restaurants again,
affected and fishermen are choosing not to lobsters as regularly as we did before, so To get customers in, we’ve been
down 30 per cent.
I just want to encourage people to come
We need more pedestrians and traffic normal again. ■
April 2020 | 19
