AS local cafes and restaurants grapple with the impacts of COVID-19 a popular Warrnambool business made the decision early to protect staff.
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Logan's Cafe and Restaurant made the tough call on Friday to close its in house dining to the public and focus on takeaways.
Owner Shane Timms said he and staff talked about what they would do at the start of the week.
"It was about our safety," he said.
"After yesterday there was 150 for lunch, so it was nuts."
Mr Timms, who has owned Logan's for almost 18 years, said his team collectively decided they wouldn't continue serving tables.
"After that we've just gone no, you've got people in here coughing and you're the clearing tables," he said.
"Lets just call it and put ourselves first for a change."
Mr Timms said they would focus on takeaway lunches and dinners as well as home deliveries.
He said the change would hopefully allow him to keep all of his staff with people taking on different roles.
Mr Timms acknowledged the changes would be challenging but he was in it for the long haul.
"It will be massive," he said.
"I'm determined to make it work, it's going to take months and months for things to come right.
"This is probably the only way that we can sustain is to diversify."
The front area of the restaurant had been blocked off to make a standing area for customers to pick orders up and an app would be ready to go on Monday.
"It's a lot of mass change for everyone," Mr Timms said.
"I think once people get used to the idea that they can't go out as much and be happy to get take away because they don't want to cook all the time. Hopefully it all works out."
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