The country's hospitality industry has again been hit hard by the recent Delta lockdown, and nowhere is feeling it more than in Auckland, where cafes, bars, restaurants and accommodations businesses remain off-limits.
Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois says that the hardest part for business owners is not knowing what’s “around the corner for them.”
“We essentially have no revenue coming into our businesses, and there’s a lot of stressed-out business owners out there.”
The government has signalled a move to Alert level three as of next Tuesday but Bidois says while the impact this will have on businesses will vary, for most, it won't make a difference.
“if you’re a takeaway business, then level three can be really great for the revenue. However, in many cases, level three isn’t suitable for so many out there.
“Many have tried to adapt, they’ve had opportunities to trial their takeaway model, but for many, it just isn’t worth doing, essentially.”