Lockdown might have lifted but cross-border confusion and continued limitation mean it's been a slower than hoped return to form for many Border pubs.
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The Blazing Stump's licensee Michael Horsell said it's been a tough few weeks for publicans and restaurateurs, but next week's easing of restrictions and the pub's creative 're-opening' ceremony should help let customers know they're back.
"Obviously trade's been down significantly over the last eight weeks but JobKeeper certainly has helped us," he said.
"We're pretty lucky, we have a drive-through bottleshop so we've been able to continue to trade right through since March 23 when the lockdown began.
"We've always done takeaway pizza through our bottleshop which is very popular... and we added a few of the regular favourites, parmis etc, and did a takeaway menu."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Horsell said the hotel had been open since June 1 but word had been slow to spread which is why he was excited to be a part of Carlton United Brewery's national pub re-opening ceremony tour.
On Monday, runners clad in the official pub reopening ceremony tracksuits ran around Wodonga with the Tap Torch to promote the fact pubs, including The Blazing Stump Hotel, had reopened.
The torch will next travel to other towns and states across Australia.
The initiative is part of a wider Love Your Local campaign run by Carlton United Brewery designed to aid the recovery of Australia's pub industry. The company has also donated 50 kegs to struggling Victorian pubs.
"I think people are still in that lockdown mode and are a bit unsure what they can do," Mr Horsell said.
"It's accentuated here on the Border with NSW operating under different restrictions at the moment so people are a little bit confused.
"We're a huge family pub so the six people per table limit has been a big one, as people want to come down in groups. We take bookings for more than six but when you tell them they have to sit on two tables 1.5 metres apart, it's been a little bit difficult."
Mr Horsell welcomed news restrictions would ease south of the border from Monday.
"It'll make a huge difference, having 50 people in each enclosed space will basically double what we're doing now," he said. "Increasing the limit from six people per table to 20 in a booking, that'll be huge for us, we'll be able to start getting big groups coming back to celebrate birthdays and special events.
"And people will be able to start coming into the pub for a couple of drinks and not having to eat."
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
