The club industry was one of the hardest hit during the conronavirus pandemic shutdown and for many licenced premises it will take many months, if not years, for them to recover to pre-COVID days.
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Ready to take on that challenge head on is the newly appointed CEO of Club Lemon Tree, Gordon Laffan.
"Our immediate goal is to reverse the losses incurred during the shutdown, but to achieve this we have to bring the community along with us," he said.
"The virus has been quite damaging for many in the club industry and we are doing everything to ensure health and safety protocols are followed. So we have heightened our cleaning regimes and introduced a COVID marshal at every shift."
Mr Laffan said that the 10-week lockdown allowed staff to undertake some cleaning and maintenance, such as painting, replacing the old carpet and introducing an electronic sign-in machine in an effort to create a more welcoming atmosphere.
"The new carpet has added a whole new ambiance to the club," he said. "In addition, we have refurbished the restaurant, appointed new caterers and re-commenced our lawn bowls. Some of the social activities are still in mothballs and we will continue to rely on the health advice as far as reopening or recommencing areas such as the children's playground, bingo, card games, and other events and activities."
Live entertainment has also been postponed until further notice. The club also has a function space to cater to your needs, whatever the occasion.
"We can provide a food and beverage package to suit your needs and budget and an outdoor garden area suitable for up to 10 people seated," he said. "There is are also three rooms suitable for 40 to 160 people seated, which can be individual rooms or combined to one large area. the auditorium is suitable to cater for up to 300 people seated."
An Irish immigrant who worked in catering and conferencing in Sydney before moving to Stockton and managing the local bowling club there for 12 years, Mr Laffan took on the CEO role at Club Lemon Tree last November.
"I was still getting to know the business, the staff and the Tilligerry community when 'bang', the virus hit and we were forced to close our doors. Fortunately, the majority of our staff qualified for JobKeeper payments and we immediately began to look forward to reopening day where we could welcome back our loyal members."
The club initially reopened four days a week with limited hours but is now back operating seven days a week.
Mr Laffan is a great believer in positioning the club as a community hub on the Tilligerry Peninsula, providing a social and community atmosphere for all to enjoy.
"We are here for as long as the community want us, so it is important that we listen to our membership. We want Club Lemon Tree to be a venue of choice for the local community and visitors."
