Government Urged to Assist

The recently appointed Restaurant and Catering Industry Association CEO, Wes Lambert, urged the re-elected government to assist in the rising costs associated with running small food-related businesses. Lambert said small businesses cannot afford to pay their employees 225 per cent above their base salary to work on public holidays, when diners don’t want to cover the bill.

“Patrons baulk at surcharges in the range of 10-20 per cent, which self-evidently don’t cover those costs,” he said.

“An increasing number of restaurants and cafes are now choosing not to open on Sundays and/or public holidays due to an inability to trade profitably.”

The Restaurant and Catering Industry Association believe this results in a loss of income for hospitality employees and reduced choices for dining on weekends and public holidays for consumers.
“We also have concerns that it may be contributing to the black economy through workers that demand to be paid in cash for those hours worked,” Lambert said.