There was a time – before a global pandemic changed everything we knew about life – when Friday evenings in Sydney CBD were electric with energy. Long lunches would roll into afternoon drinks, and the bars that line George Street would hum with colleagues catching up on the week that was. That's changed – and new research has revealed that Friday is the day that damages the bottom line for CBD businesses, despite the fact that weekends in the city are busier than they once were.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the population of Sydneysiders coming into the city to work on Fridays has decreased by around 150,000 since pre-pandemic times. They examined the number of city workers coming into the office every day, noting that Friday’s relatively low employee turnout is having the biggest impact on the CBD economy.
BC (Before Covid), around 370,000 Sydneysiders would make their way into the city each week day for work. Now, the numbers each day are significantly less, with Tuesdays only seeing 84 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Wednesdays welcoming 83 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, and Fridays seeing just 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. With almost a half of their patrons now staying home on Fridays, businesses within the CBD that rely on city workers are taking a hit. Our hope is that Sydney's suburbs are getting more business because people are staying in their own 'hoods.
All this comes despite the fact that city bustle is finally starting to return – but according to data released by the City of Sydney earlier this year, that city foot traffic is occurring at weekends now rather than during the week.
According to the City of Sydney, the average number of people heading into the city on Sundays in December was 137 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, outperforming weekdays for recovery. This shift has been put down to our new flexible working conditions: “According to our recent community wellbeing survey, 72 per cent of employed residents surveyed can work from home. Of these, more than half work from home two or three days per week, while one-fifth do so one day a week,” a spokesperson for the City of Sydney told the Guardian back in March.
Sadly but unsurprisingly, Sydney’s hospitality industry is taking the hit from our decision to keep it low-cost and work from home on the last day of the week, with the Telegraph estimating that one in 11 hospitality businesses in Sydney CBD will fail within the next 12 months if things remain the same.
It’s hard news to hear, but with the cost of living weighing heavy on all of us, it’s not surprising that Friday drinks are falling off our list of priorities. Keen to support the industry? These are the best restaurants in Sydney CBD.
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