Stimulus vouchers can now be used at Wagga restaurants and cafes as part of a statewide effort to kickstart the hospitality scene from its COVID-19 lockdown slumber.
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The Dine and Discover vouchers are available now for Wagga residents over the age of 18, with two $25 Dine vouchers to be used for food and drink and two $25 Discover vouchers to be used for recreation.
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The digital vouchers can be downloaded from the Service NSW app and website, which also contains a list of all the eligible Wagga businesses that are currently signed up for the program.
One of them is Roll Viet owner Harry Le, who said the vouchers were a much-needed boost for the restaurant scene after a horror year for the industry.
"Everything is changing. There's been uncertainty around the regulations, the reduced numbers for dine-ins, more staff for hygiene and protection. There's been a lot of challenges for running a business, especially for restaurants and cafes," Mr Le said.
"We've had a lot of trouble because people were not willing to dine in, mostly takeaway, because people didn't have the confidence to go out. Hopefully the vouchers mean more people will come to our shop."
The Curious Rabbit owner Vickie Burkinshaw will be taking both Dine and Discover vouchers at her cafe, which also runs events such as music festivals, poetry readings, and craft workshops.
"We're really hoping people will be creative in what they think they can use it for, and that everyone gets on board and downloads their vouchers," Ms Burkinshaw said.
"We're starting to feel people are feeling more confident to come out, and I think Dine and Discover will really support people feel safe to venture out.
"Any incentive that encourages people to spend local is a fantastic one."
The vouchers cannot be used on public holidays and are valid until the end of June.