Eat at your local Chinese restaurant or watch it close down- Australians urged to put aside coronavirus fears as Asian eateries across country rapidly go out of business
- Downturn in business at Chinese restaurants has led to closures across Australia
- Hysteria around coronavirus has led to diners avoiding eating Chinese food
- A social media campaign is aiming to help support struggling businesses
Hysteria around the coronavirus could lead to even more Chinese restaurants closing down around Australia unless diners return to their favourite local eateries.
Some businesses are reporting a 50 per cent drop in customers as a result of unfounded fears around contracting the deadly coronavirus.
The impact on Chinese restaurants across the country - with many forced to close their doors, including the long-established Shark Fin House in central Melbourne - has prompted a social media campaign urging Australians to pick up their chopsticks and dig in.
Activist group Getup has launched 'I will eat with you' to encourage people to return to their favourite eateries.
The impact of hysteria about coronavirus on Chinese restaurants across the country has prompted a social media campaign urging Australians to pick up their chopsticks and dig in
Activist group Getup has launched 'I will eat with you' to encourage people to return to their favourite eateries
Launching the campaign this week, the group urged people to take action and relieve some of the impacts the disease is having on the Australian economy.
'While other restaurants and public spaces are still buzzing, it is the Chinatown restaurants and Asian grocers that stand empty. Panic around the virus is unfairly impacting Chinese and Asian communities,' the campaign reads.
'If we don't take action – people will lose their jobs, and their livelihoods.'
Diners across the country are now showing their solidarity for business owners, pledging to support them in the wake of a tough few months.
Diners across the country are now showing their solidarity for business owners, pledging to support them in the wake of a tough few months
Melbourne mum Susie Cole pledged her support for Chinese community in a post on Facebook on Sunday.
'Last week our family (Mum, Josie, Mason & granddaughters Poppy & Daniella & me) ate at Harmony(Chinese) restaurant & had no qualms about coronavirus or anything else, but this week, iconic Shark Fin restaurant in Little Bourke St has closed after nearly 40 years & countless other family run Chinese restaurants are in peril because people are avoiding them for baseless fears,' she wrote.
'Please keep patronising the Chinese restaurants you love, please visit fire affected rural communities & spend money there, small businesses need customers to survive.'
Melbourne mum Susie Cole pledged her support for Chinese community in a post on Facebook on Sunday.
A social media campaign is aiming to help support struggling businesses by getting diners back through the doors
Others were horrified to learn people had stopped going to eateries because of the hysteria- but said it seemed like the fear was greatest among the Chinese community itself.
'Deliberately ate at a Chinese restaurant in St Kilda. There were no Asian customers but quite a few non Asians. I queried the young Chinese cashier if this was normal, she said no and she confessed to being petrified having to work there,' the commenter wrote.
'The misinformation amongst the Chinese community is puzzling, especially if it means a number of restaurants going broke.'
Getup: 'If we don't take action – people will lose their jobs, and their livelihoods'
Chatswood, in Sydney's Lower North Shore, and Eastwood in the north-west - which have large Chinese populations - have been bearing the brunt of the hysteria surrounding the disease, with some shops reporting that trade has slumped more than 70 per cent since the outbreak.
The only shops that appear to be making money amid the health scare are chemists selling face-masks and hand-sanitiser.
Owners of pharmacists and vitamin stores said they were busier than ever with some saying the demand for face masks has jumped by 300 per cent.
Michael Lam, owner of Star Capital Seafood Restaurant on Chatswood's normally busy Victoria Avenue, has shut down his restaurant after seven years.
Mr Lam previously told Daily Mail Australia he made the decision following weeks of poor sales as well as the Prime Minister's move to ban non-citizens from flying to Australia from China.
'Business has become terrible, usually by 11.30am the place is full and now we are lucky to get four or five people,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'As soon as the Prime Minister said flights from China were stopping, I decided to close.'
Star Capital Seafood Restaurant on Chatswood's normally busy Victoria Avenue opened seven years ago but owner Michael Lam has decided to close the doors for good
Star Capital Seafood Restaurant closed earlier this month after seven years of business
Mr Lam said he had already been thinking about retiring, but Mr Morrison's announcement prompted him to make the decision earlier.
'This week we have been selling lobsters for $88 per kilogram, but last week they were $130 a kilo,' the business-owner said.
'The locals aren't coming out so we cannot sell, it's very, very bad.'
Universities, schools, student accommodation providers, hotels, restaurants, tourist operators and airlines have been hit by ban, which may last for longer than a fortnight if the outbreak worsens.
Education industry officials said the travel ban could cost their industry alone up to $8 billion in the worst case scenario.
Local councils are pleading with customers to return to the usually bustling centres.
The Star Capital Seafood Restaurant is practically empty of diners during a normally busy time at midday on a weekday
Chatswood in Sydney's Lower North Shore has become a virtual ghost town with many residents wearing masks
A worker at Tim's Barbeque Chatswood, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that business wasn't very good in the area
Chinese restaurants in Chatswood are practically empty as the suburb has turned into a ghost town
Staff at Chatswood BBQ Kitchen said the situation was dire.
'There has been a big drop in business the last week,' worker Lee said.
'The manager says he wants to cry - there's no business and it's bad...and I've been noticing there's less people around.'
A worker at Tim's Barbeque Chatswood, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that business has taken a hit.
'It's very quiet in the area...business is not as good.'
Just a few doors down at Chatswood BBQ Kitchen, staff said it is the same (Manager, Raymond, pictured)
'The manager says he wants to cry - there's no business and it's bad...and I've been noticing there's less people around,' worker Lee said.
Despite small shop-owners admitting their business has dropped, pharmacists and vitamin stores are busier than ever
It is a similar story in Eastwood where some shop owners have reported a downturn over more than 70 per cent since the coronavirus outbreak.
Manager at Happigo Supermarket, Bobby, said the drop in sales was 'very quick' and business has been bad for nearly two weeks.
'The Chinese community has become very quiet...there's not many people on the street,' he said.
'People are scared of the coronavirus.'
Manager at Happigo Supermarket, Bobby, said the drop in sales was 'very quick' and business has now been bad for one-and-a-half weeks
Both areas are usually booming with a dense Chinese population, but the only stores that appear to be making money are chemists
A worker at J & T BBQ, who wished to remain anonymous, also said business has been bad for the past three weeks.
Owner of Nuzar Spicy Hot Pot, Jason, told Daily Mail Australia he had opened his shop just one-and-a-half weeks before the coronavirus outbreak occurred.
'The fear is spreading faster than anything...my business was here two weeks when it happened and my sales just dropped,' Jason said.
'My location is one of the best in the area, which comes with the highest rent... I can't even afford to pay my staff at the moment.'
Jason said on Sunday he made a profit of only $200, and doesn't think it is going to get any better in the coming weeks.
Ryde councillors are now launching an emergency 'Return to Eastwood' PR campaign to regenerate the area.
Owner of Nuzar Spicy Hot Pot, Jason, told Daily Mail Australia he had opened his shop just one-and-a-half weeks before the coronavirus outbreak occurred
Mayor Jerome Laxale and deputy mayor Simon Zhou have put forward a motion to promote local businesses to get owners back on their feet.
The 'Eastwood Small Business Hardship' motion has called on the general manager to set up a $500,000 Small Business Hardship Fund to help Eastwood Town Centre.
Part of the money will go towards subsidised gift vouchers to revamp the local economy.
Mr Laxale said the main focus of the campaign was to educate people about coronavirus in the area to avoid misinformation being spread.
'Eastwood has been targeted with false information. The fact is Eastwood is safe and we want to educate the public and get the right facts out there,' he told the Northern District Times.
'The last three weeks it's been a ghost town and it's an incorrect perception of Eastwood. It's not good for local businesses and local employees.
'People are staying away from Eastwood and there is nothing out there to say Eastwood is not safe. I'm calling on the local MP Victor Dominello and the Premier to do the same.'
There have been 14 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, and more than 24,000 cases and more than 490 deaths globally.
The cases have occurred in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
Ryde councillors are now launching an emergency 'Return to Eastwood' PR campaign to regenerate the area
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