Hospitality businesses have to take a gamble that Auckland will move to Level 3 as planned on Wednesday.
Auckland’s Crave café owner, Nigel Cottle, said he couldn’t leave the preparation until tomorrow’s decision, if they wanted to be ready to trade.
“We are having to spend money, essentially to get ready to reopen again.
“We’ve had to roast coffee a week ago... in order for it to be fresh. Then getting our suppliers back,” he told 1News.
“So like avocados, we had hundreds of avocados because we ripen them all, we have a relationship with the supplier.”
“So we have to kind of, sort those out again and get more stuff in cause no deliveries have happened.
Cottle said it’s a lot of work, so it’ll be tricky if the level shift is delayed.
He said at the start of Level 4 they had to throw and give away $10,000 worth of food that wouldn’t last the lockdown.
“We don’t want to waste stuff again,” he said.
For that reason, Hospitality NZ told 1News many businesses won’t buy ingredients until Level 3 is confirmed.
Auckland branch president Jamie Freeman said, “They’ve been stung before”.
He said most hospitality businesses won’t benefit from the business that’s permitted at Level 3, so won’t operate.
“Several tried to pivot and offer this service last time and found it doesn’t financially stack and seriously damages the chances of any rent relief negotiations.
“The few that do will be on very limited menus to keep costs low, because they won't be making a profit.”
Cottle admits, even at Level 3, they’ll be 80 per cent down on normal.
“We miss everyone. Even at Level 3, there’s just that sense of getting out a little bit… it’ll be cool to supply coffees, people to walk up, grab it, and go.
“Cafes, a coffee, is part of normal life.”
He said when they moved to Level 3 after the first Level 4 lockdown last year, they sold over 160 cheese scones in a day.
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