NORTH East Victorian restaurants will take another massive hit as the state is again plunged into stage four restrictions.
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On Friday restaurant and cafe operators spent the afternoon cancelling thousands of Valentine's Day bookings for Sunday.
Indigo Shire cancelled a three-day workshop from Sunday at Rutherglen's Tuileries Restaurant because of the five-day lockdown.
It would have been the first face-to-face gathering with staff and councillors since the COVID outbreak.
Indigo mayor Jenny O'Connor, who has a nursing background, understood the need for the lockdown.
"We will accept the health advice and follow the guidelines as a council and ask our community to do the same," she said.
"It is frustrating but when we look at what's happening where this virus has taken hold in other parts of the world it is very worrying and the fact we've had this outbreak (in Melbourne) really there's potential that to happen (in Victoria)."
Tuilieries Restaurant manager Andrew Doyle said they had to cancel other large events this weekend while the restaurant had been booked solidly too.
"We had already closed off bookings for Valentine's Day breakfast and lunch; we were full for both," he said.
"It's a difficult situation but we've had some dress rehearsals for it and we just have to roll with it."
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Having been financially devastated by the border checkpoint in Gateway Village, Victor Supper Club owner Carlos Saliba said they now had been saddled with perishable produce and no Valentine's Day trade.
He said he had lost 80 to 100 bookings for Sunday.
"We have 50 kilograms of meat, four kingfish, 25 kilograms of porterhouse, 15 kilograms of mussels and 10 dozen oysters ready for service," he said.
"The restaurant can't hold on to things for five days."
Wodonga Burger Urge co-owner Greg Dean said they would return to offering takeaway only on Saturday.
He said they were well drilled at it now, but it was frustrating.
"It could have been a hard lockdown in Melbourne but again regional Victoria is being punished," he said.
"Fingers crossed we don't have another border closure. We have to try to stay positive."
Wodonga's library, service centre, community centres, The Cube and Bonegilla Migrant Experience will shut for the five-day lockdown.