Australian hospitality has always been a flamboyant, energetic sector – the heartbeat of social interaction filled with outgoing service-oriented people, world-class baristas, sommeliers, and creative chefs.
To see this industry, employing over 800,000 people, forced to its knees by COVID-19 has been devastating. The closed doors, the empty outdoor areas were images that have resonated deep within Australian hearts, as a reflection of how life changed so quickly. While some cafes and restaurants were able to provide a takeaway service to generate a little cash flow, it was to a vastly reduced clientele and to a large extent fed the profits of delivery companies like UberEATS and Deliveroo.
Now that restrictions are being eased, how does this sector recover? How do they convince people that it is safe to visit them? How do they make their takeaway offering – which is going to continue to be in greater demand – more profitable?