After months of being locked out due to coronavirus restrictions, pubs and bars in Queanbeyan will be able to reopen to punters from Friday.
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But being able to enjoy a schnitty and schooner will be limited with a 10-customer maximum in place.
Pubgoers will be able to enjoy drinks but only when served with food.
Queanbeyan pubs and bars will be able to reopen to the public one day before similar measures come into effect in the ACT.
Walsh's Hotel owner Steve Bartlett said after weeks of only being able to serve takeaway, it was good to see doors reopen to customers but it would look different to a normal night out.
"There's going to be heavy pressure, and the reality is, it's going to be bookings only to manage that," Mr Bartlett said.
"We'll be doing our best to manage, and commonsense will apply.
"The way that customers are served will be permanently changed."
Gone will be the communal cutlery containers on tables with extra cleaning measures put into effect after each meal.
Fellow owner of Walsh's Hotel, Michael Bagley, said the pub will have two seatings per night to maximise the number of customers.
"We've had people ringing up for bookings. It won't make us a huge amount of money but it's more about looking after the locals," he said. "I know from feedback that we'll be flat out as soon as we reopen."
While some pubs will reopen to the public on the day restrictions ease, some are choosing to wait for larger limits on gatherings in order to be more commercially viable.
The Tourist Hotel, also owned by Mr Bartlett, won't open until the second stage of reopening measures come in, which will see gatherings of up to 20 people take place.
"We'll open for stage two only as a service to the community and to staff who need to get out of their houses," he said. "Reopening for 10 people is not worth it for us, and we hadn't been doing takeaway either because the location didn't suit it."
Mr Bartlett said the customer limit imposed on pubs and bars would impact on their commercial viability in the months ahead if restrictions weren't lifted.
"The real questions is whether many venues will be able to survive," he said.
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
