Hotel owner says the future will have to be managed

Are takeaways and curbside delivery here to stay?

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North Eastern Hotel owner Geoff Thomas agrees when this protracted shutdown is over, restaurants will have to adapt quickly to the post-pandemic world.

Reopening the local economy is going to be a gradual process and society expectations will have to be managed.

For now, the hotel is busy ramping-up their takeaways, including deliveries to the elderly and the incapacitated.

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With a staff of more than 20, including casuals, Geoff said the government’s JobKeeper salary program was a lifeline and would make a difference, but he was worried about when his business would be allowed to return to normal trading.

He said everyone in the town had been impacted by the crisis and we were all trying to continue life as normal as possible, but it was hard.

Geoff said he had been overwhelmed by the level of community support he had received and customer loyalty, including clientele who continued to order meals, because every little bit helped.

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The hotel has managed to maintain its menu in the face of the lockdown, which those ordering have appreciated.

Geoff said the range of meals and standard of food preparation had not changed and everything you knew and loved about the hotel’s menu was available for takeaway.

● To order a meal, go to www.northobenalla.com.au or phone 5762 7333.