Measures to protect people during the COVID-19 pandemic have meant workers setting up office at home and forced many businesses to make hard decisions about their future.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
April 1 marked the last day of trade for Cafe Deli. Owner Mark Valenti said the pandemic and the restrictions to curb the virus' spread had a devastating impact.
"In 20 years I've never seen anything like this," Mr Valenti said.
"We're planning to come back, but it depends on how long this thing takes ... and the bills keep coming."
Many of the office workers who visit the cafe through the week have transitioned to working from home and weren't ducking out for a fresh sandwich or coffee.
"People come here to meet with other people, it's not just lunch or a coffee," Mr Valenti said.
"You just can't put the impact into words. You trying to keep going but the shutdowns are closing everyone up."
WHO'S OPEN FOR BUSINESS: See the full list, or update your business' details here
Mr Valenti said restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining had meant opening the doors was not sustainable.
The pandemic was also impacting suppliers who were consolidating their delivery runs to cafes and other businesses to protect their own staff.
Mr Valenti said he'd be applying for the federal government's Jobkeeper Guarantee as four of the cafe's staff are without work.
"The (guarantee) gives me a bit of hope," he said.
"We've had staff that have been with us for three years and we want to keep them for when they come back."
Meanwhile on Banna Avenue, Rozanne Cotterill has radically changed how Cafe 2Sixty2 operates to comply with the pandemic restrictions. While trade has dropped off, Mrs Cotterill said there were still essential workers who stopped by to grab a coffee from 5am.
The cafe can normally fit 50 people sitting down for coffee or breakfast but instead, with some $5 tape, two lanes have been created to ensure customers keep their distance.
"We've had to think outside the box," she said.
Continuing to trade has brought challenges such as ordering the right amount of food, and the menu has been adjusted to focus on simple items with a keen focus on takeaway options.
READ MORE
Mrs Cotterill said customers who texted or called ahead could minimise their time waiting but also order options like gluten free items.
"People have been really good in the circumstances," she said.
"We're lucky to have a lot of regular tradesmen and local residents still supporting us.
"When challenges like this happen, it gives you determination. When things in life try to get you done, you just have to do it, what else are you going to do?
"There is no back-up plan."
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
