The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian restaurant and bar owner yesterday warned that tourists are describing COVID-19 curb-side restrictions as a turn-off, and asking: “What’s the point of vacationing?"

Shawn Newton, owner/operator of the Studio Café, told Tribune Business that the present curb-side limitations are “pretty damaging” with sales down 60 percent compared to the pre-COVID-19 normal. He added: “For any restaurant, curb-side and take-out isn’t working. It really isn’t. So it is not going good at all.

“Especially that we’re turning away tourists now, who want to come and dine, which just sounds stupid. Now people want to come over to The Bahamas to eat, and you have to tell them that they can’t come inside, or they can’t sit outside, and they have to take their food in a take-out plate. It’s like: What’s the point of vacationing at the end of the day?”

Mr Newton said he has been receiving “calls from tourists” since the November 1 end to the 14-day mandatory quarantine for all visitor arrivals, and said: “They wanted to dine, but I had to explain to them that because of the emergency orders we are only allowed to do take-out and curbside.

"That was a turn-off for them, especially since one or two of them said ‘What’s the point?’ They want to come for vacation but they have to sit out to eat. They really don’t want to have take-out food - my food is not fast food.”

Mr Newton added: "To me, this is embarrassing as a businessman and for our country to have to tell tourists these things. If that’s the case, then what are you opening up the borders for if you are only limiting what they can do? All they could do is go to the beach and that’s it; they can’t experience anything else? Then what’s the point?

“It’s an embarrassment, from a business point of view, to have to explain to tourists over and over and over again that I’m sorry, you can’t do this and you can’t do that. So, I’m hoping the Competent Authority makes some sort of change at their next press conference to allow outside dining again.

"Because any business person would tell you this now, and they are not asking for much. They just want to be able to survive. It’s not asking for much. We don’t mind the curfew if you want to put it down to 10pm or 9pm, but at least allow people to survive. You are taking away the ability for people to survive right now," he continued.

“At the end of the day there is nothing worse than people not having anything to lose any more. They are just not going to care. Honestly, when it comes to that point, that’s when you are really going to have a problem because people are just not going to care any more. Whatever you say is going to go through one ear and out of the other.”

Mr Newton said his regular operating hours previously were from 11am until about 11pm. “Before this whole pandemic started up we stayed open until 12pm or 1am, as people come and dine. We have a nice venue outside, so people enjoyed sitting outside by the ocean.

"When curfew started, everything started to go down but people still came out. They came, got something to eat, sat and when it was time to leave they left. It’s just like the beaches. Bahamians were glad when they opened the beaches because it gave you some sort of sanity, as this whole ordeal is depressing enough.

"It gives somebody some type of sanity to say 'OK, let me go out and get some fresh air, go on the beach and go and clear my head'. It’s the same thing: Go to the restaurant, have a drink, sit down, eat and clear my head because, at the end of the day, I’m not making any money, but at least let me go and relax myself," Mr Newton added.

“The thing is the Competent Authority doesn’t have to explain this to tourists in the front of their faces. As a business person I look at people in the front of their face, and these restrictions sound stupid. You’re telling them you can’t sit and dine here, and they ask why.

"But it’s outside, you say, and they ask you 'why' again? If you don’t want people to ask these questions then don’t let them inside of the country. Keep it shut down until you are ready to be functional fully so you don’t have to have these obstacles.”

Mr Newton said he is losing 60 percent of his regular sales by not having the bar operational, and added: “It hurts a lot. Honestly, because people love to sit down and drink, and when they drink they want to eat. It goes hand in hand.”