Towards the end of each calendar year, we like to take a look back at how the industry has shifted, the trends that have taken off, and try to pre-empt the future face of the industry. This year we are embarking on the same assignment, however the impact Covid lockdowns have had on the industry, especially in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent Sydney, we know that the future face of the industry may have been changed forever.

Australia’s two major cities have currently been in lockdown for over ten weeks with Melbourne now being in lockdown longer than any city in the world, 246 days so far and one month remaining. The prolonged closures on food and beverage venues have ranged from hard to devastating, not just from a sales perspective, but on the lives of hospitality workers and their families.

However, creative food and hospitality operators have managed to innovate, stay agile, plan for the end in sight and have reinvented their business in order to prepare for the huge demand that his been building up and will let rip once the lockdowns end. Cafés and restaurants, along with bars and hairdressers are at the top of everyone’s to do list.