Perth’s CBD cafés caught in the crosshairs as city workers stay at home
Cafés in Perth’s CBD are seeing massive declines in coffee sales, as the city’s workers desert city offices for the convenience of their home where they can avoid wearing masks.
The transition has resulted in a massive loss in income for café owners.
According to a Property Council of Australia’s occupancy survey released on Tuesday, Perth has recorded its lowest office occupancy level since July 2020.
Further to this, a poll conducted by the Property Council WA, found more than 61 per cent of workers have elected to work due to mask mandates.
Those afraid of transmission accounted for just 10% of workers.
“If we assume before COVID, the CBD worker population was roughly 150,000 people per day, an 11 per cent decline, which is what has occurred between January and February, represents 16,500 workers,” Property Council WA executive director Sandra Brewer.
“If each of those workers were to buy just one coffee, it would represent a loss of $74,250 per day or $371,250 per week of coffee not being purchased.”
Rachel Strom bought her café Playa Coffee in March 2020, just one week before the pandemic began.
She is a firm believer that the mask mandates are the reason so many people are not working in city offices.
“BHP accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of our customers and because they are all working from home our trade has dropped off around 30 or 40 per cent,” she said.
“People are set up to work from home now so it’s easy for them not to come into the office.
“Hospitality is a hard slog and we are just treading water,” she said.
“Previously we have had JobKeeper and rent relief to help us stay afloat but now we have none of those things.
“I’ve looked at the small business grants on offer but we aren’t eligible.
“I really thought with our state’s high vaccination rates this year would be a turning point but things are gradually getting quieter since the start of the year.”
Irit Jackson, 9th March 2022
