Local hospitality businesses are still feeling the weight left behind by COVID-19 restrictions after more than two years of uncertainty.
The lifting of restrictions last Saturday gave businesses a lot to celebrate however not all had the chance.
Metro Bakery and Café owner Toni Vorenas had to close two nights over the weekend because some staff had been deemed close contacts.
“However, when we were open on the weekend it felt like Mount Gambier had its heartbeat back,” she said.
“We are really excited that restrictions have lifted and are looking forward to settling into normality especially with Fringe right around the corner. Big venues can fill up and people can have that sense of community which is hard to create when you are trapped.
“Hospitality is all about connections, it’s about laughing and dancing together and moving around the space, so it has been difficult not to be able to do that,” Mrs Vorenas said, alerting to the
The hospitality operator pointed to the last two years being a difficult challenge.
“It is not just the uncertainty around the two years but the fact restrictions changed in a heartbeat,” she said.
“During the pandemic we have had to cancel and rethink a lot of events. “We had a group come down from Adelaide that booked way in advance and everything we had planned as entertainment to show them a good time we just could not do.
“You always have to try and think outside the box but there is only so much you can do when so many things are restricted.”
Sorrento’s is another local business that has felt the effects of the global pandemic.
“I am thankful we did not have to close because we have a bigger space, but I felt for the other cafés like Metro and Presto that did,” Sorrento’s owner Amanda Hudson said.
“Competition is healthy, we welcome it and when they closed over the Christmas and New Year period we were busier, but had to turn a lot of people away.
“I have only owned this business for about five months so there have been times I questioned whether I have done the right thing.”
Mrs Vorenas agreed saying there were moments where she was not sure if Metro would survive as a business.
“The bigger a business is the harder it is to run, it was not easy. At the start of the pandemic, we went from a team of about 35 staff to only two people running the show,” she said.
“I am hoping we have reached a point where we have learned to live with the virus and recognise that locking things down does not necessarily resolve anything.
“What it does do is put a strain on businesses, not just financially but also emotionally and spiritually.”
Mrs Vorenas told The SE Voice she was looking to the future, but had been changed by the COVID experience.
“You have to look ahead but COVID-19 is always there at the back of your mind,” she said.
“This is an amazing community here in Mount Gambier. When we opened here and right throughout the two years, the support has been incredible.
“You certainly do not take anything for granted but for now, the sun is shining and today is a good day.”
