Kogarah Clubhouse will be able to have up to 170 patrons from next Monday with an expanded team of staff and a reopening of dining areas.
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The club's general manager Grant Amer has checked the club's requirements under the State Government's COVID-19 social distancing rules of one person per every four-square metres.
"ClubsNSW has confirmed the interpretation of the government's restrictions in relation to COVID-19 social distancing requirements and we have the capacity for 170 patrons," Mr Amer said.
"We are allowed 50 patrons per dining area and you can nominate certain rooms to become a dining area.
"We are turning our Sports Lounge intoa dining area along with our Main bar area. These join our cafe, the Blake Street Kitchen. Our Asian restaurant, The Pearl is expected to open late next week.
"The government has relaxed the previous requirement of having to purchase a meal with a drink. Now people will be able to buy a drink without purchasing a meal.
"And observing social distancing requirements we can have 30 people at our indoor gaming room and 20 in the outdoor gaming area which we will be looking to reopen late next week."
Located at 252-258 Railway Parade, the Kogarah Clubhouse will be operating reduced hours. The cafe will still operate from 7am and the club will open at 11am and close at 10pm.
The club will have COVID marshalls in high visibility vests to monitor the numbers. Toilets and touch points throughout the club will be cleaned regularly and there will be hand sanitiser placed throughout the club.
"All our staff have completed the COVID-19 government-approved safety course," Mr Amer said.
All these changes mean the club has been able to re-employee staff who were laid off at the start of the pandemic.
"We will have 17 staff working from Monday onwards," Mr Amer said.
"We had to let go of 32 staff when we closed our operations and we intend to eventually bring them all back, so we have 15 to go. We still have that goal to have them all back on board."
"Everyone has rallied together and made changes to their job descriptions.
"When the club closed because of the pandemic we decided to provide a takeaway service from our Blake Street Kitchen and were able to keep eight staff employed. They were called the Grateful Eight. Then we put another staff member on and we called them The Thankful Nine.
"Now we have 17 staff and we call ourselves The Indebted 17. This is because we are indebted to our customers for their support.
"We made a little music video to show support for our departed staff and customers took part holding up signs with the names of our staff members saying they were missed and to hurry back soon.
"We have overcome a big hurdle," Mr Amer said. "We have managed to get through.
"We are still striving to get our final 15 staff back on board and to provide a great service to the community."
