Going out in Sydney is too often geared toward high-end, unaffordable bars and restaurants that are out of reach for the average punter, the state’s nightlife guru has warned, calling on the industry to offer cheaper options that would get people out of the house more often.The problem has been exacerbated by COVID-19 as hospitality operators battling labour and supply shortages try to regenerate revenue as quickly as possible through a premium focus, NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said.
Going out in Sydney is frequently geared toward high-end, unaffordable bars and restaurants that are out of reach for the average punter, 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said.Credit:Edwina Pickles Well-heeled diners and corporate lunchers kicked off a “lobster, caviar, pandemic’s over” trend at big-name restaurants after lockdowns, but this was geared toward Generation X and Baby Boomer audiences, he said.This “premiumisation of product” could be an issue for younger consumers, “particularly in a city like Sydney which is just flat out expensive”.“If you look at the cost of a cocktail in a bar it’s $24-$30 and that will increase,” Mr Rodrigues said. “You may have a younger audience attend a bar, but they may order a cocktail to share between two or three people.“We want to make sure that we’re covering off other price points equally well because I’m thinking about the market as a whole. You want more people coming [out] more regularly. And if it goes to a largely premium product then my concern would be that people don’t come out as regularly.”
Hospitality operators are trying to regenerate revenue as quickly as possible through a premium focus, according to the NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner.Credit:Edwina PicklesMr Rodrigues made the comments at the Remix cultural summit on Wednesday that also explored ways to reinvigorate Sydney’s CBD and offer immersive entertainment experiences to get people off the couch and away from what he called the “villains” of Netflix and Uber Eats.It was a time of unprecedented government involvement in the “going out” economy, he said, such as the NSW government’s $25 dine and discover vouchers to get people to support local businesses. But he worried people would find the product offering “out of step with their reality”, discouraging repeat visits.
