Pubgoers, punters, and parmi-enthusiasts will soon be able to get their fix, as Wagga pubs and hotels open their doors for more sit-down customers as restrictions ease across the state on Monday.
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Under the new rules pubs are now allowed to accommodate up to 50 people, and potentially more than that depending on the size and number of dining areas.
The new rules push many Wagga pubs into the realm of viability; the previous restrictions of 10 people per pub meant in practice virtually none of them could profitably open for sit-down guests.
The loosened restrictions came as an immense relief to publican Sean O'Hara, who will be reopening all three of his pubs: the Farmers Home Hotel, the Turvey Tavern, and the Palm and Pawn Tavern.
Mr O'Hara said the news came just in time, saying that the three pubs "couldn't have held on for much longer" under the previous restrictions.
The publican said he was forced to go deeply out of pocket to keep the three pubs afloat, but at this point he was simply glad that his 80 staff would be able to keep their jobs.
"It's good they're all back to work. That's 80 households that should be getting back to some normality," Mr O'Hara said.
"We can't go back, we have to go forward. No point dwelling."
Farmers Home Hotel head chef Ashok Subedi said he was looking forward to getting back in the kitchen and serving up some classic pub food.
"We are really, really excited to come back, because we already miss this place," Mr Subedi said.
"We can see our colleagues through social media and by phone, but customers are hard to see so we are waiting for them to come back so we can serve them good food."
Bartender Louis Dennis said he was also looking forward to getting back on the taps and pouring his first pub beer in 70 days.
Mr Dennis has spent the downtime brushing up on his keyboard skills, but said he was at the point where he was just looking forward to getting back to work.
His fellow workers had been staying in touch over social media, but Mr Dennis said he was itching to get back into the pub and see them in person.
"It's good to see the co-workers, I've missed them a lot. They're a good bunch of people," Mr Dennis said.
"We're getting our sleeping patterns back on track and getting straight back into work."
Certain rules still apply, including a 10-person maximum cap on group bookings, a four square metre gap between tables, and a ban on communal cutlery.
Pub-goers can also expect a shortage in certain brands of beer, as breweries suffer shortages due to the government only giving them two week's notice to prepare.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
