The road out begins: Australia's restaurants and cafes open their doors to the first customers under strict 10-person rule as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are finally eased
- NSW pubs and clubs will open their doors to 10 patrons at a time from Friday
- Bar areas and gaming facilities will remain shut for the foreseeable future
- The Star's Sokyo restaurant was one of the first restaurants to reopen
- Some bigger venues will not reopen because of the 10 patron policy
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Restaurants and cafes across Australia have opened their doors for the first time in nearly eight weeks as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.
And while there are fears among some business owners that it is not worth opening as venues can only serve a maximum of ten customers at any one time, some restaurants were keen to open as soon as they could.
The Star's Sokyo restaurant was the first high-end restaurant in Australia to reopen its doors, with chefs serving up dishes at 12.01am on Friday.
Lucky punters who were invited to the venue for the midnight feast included Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox, Sydney City Councillor Christine Forster and former NRL star Beau Ryan.
The Japanese restaurant closed on March 23 after the government introduced strict social distancing measures to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Cafes, restaurants and bars have only been allowed to offer a takeaway service under the restrictions.
Now that the curve of infection rates has seemingly flattened in Australia, the federal government gave the green light for states to begin easing restrictions within their own timeline.
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The Star's Sokyo restaurant was the first high-end restaurant in Australia to reopen its doors, with chefs serving up dishes at 12.01am on Friday
Former NRL star Beau Ryan (pictured) was thrilled to be invited to the reopening of the high-end restaurant on Friday
Japanese restaurant Sokyo at The Star in Sydney was the first high-end restaurant in Australia to reopen its doors after the lockdown
New South Wales was the first state to allow indoor dining with a limit of 10 customers permitted inside the venue at any one time.
Other states are expected to follow in the coming weeks. South Australia is currently allowing cafes and restaurants to operate outdoor dining for up to 10 people.
All venues must still adhere to social distancing policies and stick to the strict 10-patron rule.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said he understands larger venues will struggle but the government was working hard to ensure businesses are reopened in a safe manner.
'This is an important first step, and we want it to be a success, so that as venues transition back from closure they do so safely both for their staff and their customers.'
The decision is a boost for regional towns where the pub is the only place locals can eat out.
Restaurants and cafes across Australia have opened their doors for the first time in nearly eight weeks as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased
But bigger pubs in Sydney and other cities may feel that opening up for ten customers is not worth the trouble financially.
Hospitality giant Merivale confirmed it would stick to operating on a takeaway-only policy until restrictions were eased further.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted the 10-person limited would make it near impossible for some venues to open.
'Even if there are multiple rooms or multiple facilities in a venue, it's only up to 10 people in one venue,' she said.
'But we do need to take these smaller steps forward. We can't just really go any further at this stage because there's a lot of activity already happening at the moment.'
Meanwhile in Queensland, thirsty customers will be able to go to pubs, clubs and RSLs for a drink as long as they also buy a meal from Saturday.
Guests who enjoyed the midnight feast included Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox, Sydney City Councillor Christine Forster and former NRL star Beau Ryan
Lucky punters were the first to enjoy a meal inside a restaurant in weeks
In Brisbane, venues can only have ten customers at one time, but in other regions 20 people are allowed.
In the Northern Territory and ACT, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes are open from Friday, but customers must observe social distancing.
They can only stay for a maximum of two hours and must order food.
In South Australia, pubs are staying closed for the time-being, with cafes and restaurants open - but not serving alcohol, even if you buy a meal.
Customers, a maximum of ten, must sit outdoors.
Groups of up to 20 people will be allowed back into venues from June 8, when the second stage of COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Restrictions are also easing in Western Australia from Monday, with pubs, clubs and even Perth's casino serving drinks with meals.
Guests could be seen seated at least 1.5 metres apart inside the venue. They waited patiently for the Japanese food to be cooked
Patrons enjoyed a nice sit-down meal inside the high-end restaurant overnight after restrictions were eased
A maximum of 20 customers will be allowed at one time.
While other states have started to relax the rules, cafes and restaurants in Victoria will remain restricted to takeaway.
This is expected to be the case until at least the start of June.
Premier Daniel Andrews indicated he was considering making changes next month, but that he didn't believe the ten-customer limit would be beneficial.
'I think the feedback from many, many businesses is that at just ten patrons, it's really hard to be viable.
'If we wait these three weeks, when we move to go beyond just takeaway for cafes … we might not have to stick with a number of ten, we might be able to go higher than that.
