PHILLIP HARSANT
Low-key visits from G20 entourages have not made up for the loss of local customers in Brisbane’s premier eating district at Riverside.
Kingsley’s restaurant benefited from a large group of European Union delegates, who had a set menu of the Angus fillet or barramundi to choose from.
And Jade Buddah hosted Mexico’s First Lady on Friday night, but staff say they didn’t realise that an Indian contingent visited until they had left the premises as representatives “seem to be keeping it low key”.
The Coffee Club has reported a large number of security and media representatives, with most of them ordering coffee only.
Groove Train Supervisor Naomi McCallum says she usually has eight staff working on a Sunday but today she only needs four.
“We’ve been down a third of what we usually do on the weekend, we’re still seeing tourists but a lot of our regulars we have missed out on,” she says.
Assistant Manager of Coffee Club Kate Miller says that it has been difficult to benefit when the Convention Centre has prepared close to 100,000 meals.
