Have our restaurants and bars not been through enough?
As the hospitality industry banded together to support one another during the catastrophic bushfires across the country and both restaurants and farmers were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, a global virus pandemic has broken out.
The measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus might seem extreme, but it is our social responsibility to self-contain, self-quarantine, engage in social distancing and generally be more aware of our personal hygiene. This is causing even more strain on a restaurant industry that is already operating at a loss after a major disaster on wafer-thin margins. To ensure that your favourite diner, bar or eatery is going to remain open, here are some things you can do to help.
1 Buy a gift voucher
When you purchase a gift voucher, the money goes directly to the restaurant right now, which means the venue can keep the doors open another day. Gift vouchers generally don't expire for at least 12 months, so you will be able to claim your meal back at a later date.
2 Buy merchandise
Does your favourite restaurant sell a branded tote bag, T-shirt or any other sweet merch you've been eyeing off? Buy it. If your local is technology savvy, it probably has an online store to back it up. Every dollar will help keep the lights on.
3 Get take away
Restaurants and bars are changing up the way they do business to get through tough times. This means that even if they haven't been able to previously do take away (that's food and booze), they might today. The best way to check out the situation is to call up the venue and ask. If the restaurant can't help you, you might get a recommendation for another local restaurant that will be able to accommodate your needs. A good hack to make sure the restaurant isn't being charged unnecessarily is to order through them directly rather than a third-party service. Here are some Melbourne venues now doing takeaway and delivery.
Don't know where to start? Here are links to purchase gift vouchers from all the restaurants on our Eat list:
Kazuki's
Oakridge
Anchovy
Di Stasio Citta
Minamishima
Sunda
Flower Drum
Carlton Wine Room
Provenance
Matilda 159
Grossi Florentino
Tipo 00
Cumulus Inc
Neighbourhood Wine
Osteria Ilaria
Cutler and Co
Daughter In Law
Marion
Bar Saracen
Lesa
Annam
Supernormal
San Telmo
Maha
Smith and Daughters
Kisume
Dodee Paidang
Harley and Rose
New Jaffa