Googong's first pub, Gorman & Co, had planned a huge event to mark its opening. A party would be hosted on an adjoining car park with a stage for live music and the doors to the pub would be opened with large numbers of people flowing in and out.
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But instead of a crowd listening to tunes and watching football games beaming off TV screens, the bustle of activity was all in the kitchen and in people's living rooms throughout the town.
As stringent coronavirus restrictions remain in place, the pub opened for takeaway last Wednesday. However, the Googong community showed its support in droves.
Gorman & Co general manager Patty Vance said more than 2000 orders had been placed in the first five days. Last Friday there were 64 takeaway orders placed on the store's app in a matter of minutes.
"We're just so thankful the community has gotten behind us in such a fantastic way and we're a little overwhelmed, but we're certainly up for the challenge," he said.
It was three years ago the owners agreed to secure the site of Gorman & Co. There were delays with council approvals and tenants had pulled out, but the owners decided to proceed with the pub themselves.
The build commenced in January, but then COVID-19 hit. However, the decision was made to open the pub with social distancing restrictions still in place for the sake of the community.
"We wanted to get something opened in this crazy world that we're currently experiencing and we wanted to still be opened and available for people to use," Mr Vance said
"It was obviously a pub but when we couldn't do that we wanted to still be able to have an offering that we could service the Googong community with."
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The venue has yet to open for dine-in patrons, despite being allowed to have 10 people at any one time, in guidelines that came into effect in NSW last Friday.
But the pub has looked at allowing bookings for groups of 10 for one-and-half hours with a set minimum spend.
When the pub can open normally there would be sports played across nine TV screens, as well as weekly trivia and live music on weekends.
While Gorman & Co did not get to host the opening party it hoped for, when further restrictions are eased it is hoped an official opening involving the whole community will happen - just like the one that had been planned.
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Lucy Bladen
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
