THROUGH February and early March, Jane Miller was watching global news with interest, but great concern.<\/p>\n
As the owner of Eclectic Tastes Caf\u00e9 & Pantry, she knew it wouldn\u2019t be long before Australia felt the monumental impact of COVID-19, and her business would have to cease operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people forget, there was quite a bit of fear in the community around that time. I genuinely thought that we would go to stage four within a couple of weeks,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had staff that were getting very scared to serve people… Scared to handle money. We get a lot of ambulance workers and nurses coming in, so people were fearful.\u201d<\/p>\n
When her venue shut on Monday, 23 March, Mrs Miller decided not to continue trading with a takeaway menu, considering this anxiety and her core business, which lay elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Now almost 10 weeks on, the Eclectic Tastes team have used this down time productively, completing repair and maintenance works they may not have been able to attend to so quickly if open as normal.<\/p>\n
With restrictions also easing, following the stage three peak, the caf\u00e9 is looking ahead to potentially reopening mid-June.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re waiting to see how many people we can have. It depends on the square meterage of your building,\u201d Mrs Miller said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019re fortunate. We\u2019ve got five separate dining rooms, so we can have one table in each so people aren\u2019t near each other in that space.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019s missed the day-to-day action, familiar faces, and connection to community that comes with running a caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople make a caf\u00e9 part of their day. It\u2019s a place where people connect outside of the home.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are always catching up, whether it\u2019s every day at the same time, or every week with the same group. We\u2019ve got people who\u2019ll run or walk around the lake and be in having coffee seven days a week,\u201d Mrs Miller said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a very loyal, regular customer base, and I\u2019d usually chat to the regulars and see how they\u2019re going. I\u2019ve had a few text me during this time, and it\u2019s been lovely to stay in contact.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been saddening for her to see employees without their usual opportunity to shine, whether front of house, or out the back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we\u2019ve got a staff skillset here that hasn\u2019t been able to be utilised; it\u2019s sad. In particular, for chefs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat can they do during this time when they\u2019re not working, when their skillset is based in a kitchen? It\u2019s difficult. There\u2019s only so many egg and bacon rolls people can make for takeaway,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
There might be a taste of normality and trade on the way, but Mrs Miller doesn\u2019t envision the hospitality industry quickly returning to anything like its pre-pandemic self.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we will be 100 per cent back to how we used to be for a very long time. There are practices that we have to implement that we probably should have always implemented, like hand sanitiser. They\u2019ll always be with us now.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be nice for people to know they\u2019ve seen the worst, and this is not the best, but it\u2019s better than nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Miller expects there will be a greater drive to support local producers and businesses in Ballarat, as residents stop and reassess \u201cwhat\u2019s important for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community will see the need to support what\u2019s around them, more so than what they can get outside of the town. People will think twice about swinging to Melbourne for something.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way hospitality venues have successfully pivoted and become something they probably didn\u2019t think was possible, it\u2019s amazing. It gives Ballarat people the choice when everything\u2019s back to normal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THROUGH February and early March, Jane Miller was watching global news with interest, but great concern. As the owner of Eclectic Tastes Caf\u00e9 & Pantry, she knew it wouldn\u2019t be long before Australia felt the monumental impact of COVID-19, and her business would have to cease operations. \u201cI think people forget, there was quite a […]<\/p>\n