From bad to worse as Asian venues take an 80 percent hit from coronavirus
Chinese restaurant owners in Sydney and Melbourne have seen a 60 per cent drop in sales on weekends and an 80 per cent hit on weekdays as a result of the coronavirus.
Despite the fact that Australia has only seen 15 cases of the China born coronavirus to date, customers have been steering clear of Asian venues in the two cities.
EFC Group’s Da Long Yi, Gotcha Fresh Bubble Tea and JiYu in Sydney’s Chinatown have seen sales plummet forcing them to slash casual staffing hours, business development manager Orlando Sanpo told Yahoo Finance.
“It affects the economy and the dining environment in Chinatown as it’s looking like a dead town,” he said.
“Restaurants like JiYu and Da Long Yi - all ingredients are sourced freshly local, and Australia has one of the highest standards in terms of food safety and hygiene practices.”
In Melbourne, Nanjing Story has also seen a 60 per cent drop in sales.
“We’ve lost most of the local people and regular customers, and of course some international students because most of them are trapped in China because of the virus and aren’t allowed to return,” Nanjing Story’s Vivian Yang told yahoo Finance.
“Our ingredients are all from Australia, so visiting our store to dine is incredibly safe.”
Sheridan Randall, 19th February 2020
