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Joe, a prominent restaurateur and cafe entrepreneur in Brisbane’s central business district, shared with nine.com.au that the tradition of Friday evening staff gatherings has all but vanished.
“There was a time when Friday afternoon drinks were a celebrated event,” Joe remarked. “Now, the trend has shifted to Thursdays, but it’s not nearly as popular as it once was.”
He explained, “Those of us operating hospitality businesses in the CBD are acutely feeling the impact.”
Joe predicted, “I anticipate that more establishments will either shut down entirely or will start considering an early closure of around 4 or 5 PM on Fridays.”
His coffee shops are also experiencing a downturn in sales as the workweek winds down.
He said Fridays are “well and truly over” by lunchtime, resulting in some business owners shortening hours or simply not opening from Friday until Sunday.
“Where does that leave us?” he added.
“That’s what’s plaguing a lot of venues at the moment.”
Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association (ARCA) chief executive Wes Lambert warned it might be too late for CBD businesses to claw back pre-COVID-19 foot traffic.
He is unsurprised that some venues are choosing to close on weakening sale days.
The peak hospitality industry boss said owners may want to capitalise on Thursday night customers instead.
“We have seen the foot traffic diminish,” Lambert said.
“Thursday is the new Friday when it comes to office workers and the CBD.”
Lambert said he was “surprised and flabbergasted” to see the Victorian government push for legislation enshrining the right to work-from-home.
The already-disappearing number of office workers in the CBD could thin out further if these laws pass, Lambert warned.
“It doesn’t really make much sense,” he added.
Workers turning to local watering holes
Rebecca O’Shea and her sisters own Bar Nina in Sydney’s Darlinghurst and wine bar Arms Length in Potts Point.
Both inner-city venues have experienced the opposite impact of the work-from-home crowd.
O’Shead told nine.com.au that the bars, because of their location outside of the CBD, attract locals who are knocking off early from home or are popping in to work or a meeting over lunch.
“We’ve got a lot of customers who might work in the city, but they live in Darlinghurst,” O’Shea said.
“I would say cost of living has affected people’s spending more than work from home for us.”
Lambert said venues like Bar Nina and Arms Length are enjoying the diverted foot traffic from city centres.
“Consumers are choosing to not be in the office on Fridays, and hence, they’re more likely to go to their local pub or the restaurants and cafes around their home, rather than in a CBD,” he said.
O’Shea opens Bar Nina from breakfast until last drinks and said the extended hours had helped lure in workers.
“We’ve sort of adapted our business to hit the local community to make sure that we’re a nice space for everyone,” she added.
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