On a usual Sunday, As Nature Intended organic cafe and grocery store at Dairy Road in Fyshwick is pumping with people dining indoors and outside and shopping for essentials.
But today, in the midst of the ACT lockdown, it’s a ghost town, with only four customers all morning.
Owner Beata Wilder and one staff member are the only two on duty, compared to the usual two chefs, three serving staff and another team member looking after the fresh produce section.
Ms Wilder is concerned the ACT lockdown regulations requiring people to shop within a small radius is hurting small, local businesses like hers that are a destination.
“People are being told do not leave your suburb, and it’s driving them to shop at major supermarkets that are bigger and busier,” she said.
“But it is very safe for people to come to a shop like ours where it is less crowded, and you can do it all in one location. You can get your takeaway coffee and meals, freshly baked breads, groceries and fresh organic produce all in our one-stop shop.
“I think the message from the government should be for people to please shop safely and where there is a nice, safe environment. The government should be allowing people to shop where you usually shop, even if that’s not the closest to where you live.”
Without customers, Ms Wilder is worried the freshly cooked meals and bread that have been made on the premises as well as all the fresh produce in the store will spoil and go to waste. This not only means heartbreaking wastage, but the money already spent on buying stock going down the drain, leaving the business financially vulnerable.
“I don’t want to have crowds,” she said. “I just want to survive.”
“It’s awful. It’s not like lockdown last year.”
In 2020, Ms Wilder said, ACT residents were encouraged to support small businesses, rather than worrying they might be breaching restrictions if they ventured beyond their suburb.
“If we’re not allowed to travel more than a few kilometres, stores like us won’t survive.”
As well, the financial support offered to small businesses through JobKeeper in 2020 helped keep businesses like hers going and keep staff employed.
“The government should definitely bring back JobKeeper for small businesses doing it tough in lockdown,” she said.
Under new lockdown assistance, a small business that can prove a loss of 30 per cent turnover week on week is eligible for $3,000 in assistance, to help cover overheads such as stock, wages, rent, rates and utilities. But many small businesses were already struggling on reduced turnovers due to the impact of lockdowns in NSW and elsewhere before the ACT lockdown began on 12 August. Meanwhile, employees who have lost work hours may be eligible for up to $750 a week, which can act as a disincentive to leave the confines of home to go out to work.
“It would be good for the financial support to come to the business so that we can keep our staff on the books and give them work to do.”
Ms Wilder said she did not know if or how her business could survive this lockdown this time.
“But I’m not begging,” she said.
“I’m crying.”
As Nature Intended also offers safe, contactless pick-up of orders (takeaway coffee, meals, grocery items and fresh produce) via their drive-past window on the access road off Dairy Road. To order, call 6280 4896.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a locally owned and operated business, Canberra Weekly is urging ACT residents to please support your local, family-owned and operated small businesses – especially if you still want them to be there when lockdown lifts.
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