Raise a glass to pubs’ return

It’s all smiles for pubs and restaurants in the Pilbara, with venues able to serve customers a well-deserved pint. As part of phase three of the State’s Roadmap to Recovery, the maximum size of indoor and outdoor gatherings will increase to 100 people, with venues that have multiple zones allowed to welcome up to 300 customers. The new rules, which will come into effect at 11.59pm on June 5, will see the 4qsm per person rule cut down to 2sqm. Beauty therapy and personal care services can reopen, as well as cinemas and concert venues, while parents and guardians will be able to enter school grounds to drop off or pick up their children. Exmouth’s Froth Craft Brewery owner Peter Firth said the new guidelines would make a world of difference for the business. “We did 3 per cent of sales in April compared to last year — we are definitely a bums-on-seats venue that thrives on atmosphere and quality of product,” he said. “We are really excited of having 100 people back in the venue and to be able to cater to all the different visitors that will be flocking into our doors.” Mr Firth said the new guidelines meant he was able to rehire staff who had been let go because of coronavirus restrictions. “It will now become economically viable for us to open again, not quite in our full capacity of 200 people, but 100,” he said. Meanwhile in Karratha, Blanche and Fiorita owner Bart Parsons can’t wait to welcome more customers. “It’s such a relief, and I feel stoked for every single hospitality person out there — venue, owner, or junior staff member,” he said. “We’ve just hired two or three new people straight-up off the bat to get back to normal, so there will be a lot of people around the State back in work.” Mr Parsons said his venues were licensed for 1.5sqm spacing, so the 2sqm spacing would not mean much of a change to his venue layout. “Hopefully we can get on a bit of trajectory like we were, and maybe make out some ground, even,” he said. “People still need to sit while eating, which is what our venues are about, but the whole thing about this is they don’t want dance floors at clubs and that yet.” Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce president Claire Boyce said businesses could now begin to recover from the impact of the coronavirus restrictions. “A lot of businesses have been doing the takeaway option. Since restrictions first eased, all the restaurants began to open and the community has responded well to it,” she said.