In pre-coronavirus days, Dapto man Paul Calleja worked at weddings, engagements and corporate events as a mobile bartender.
But when the pandemic hit and mass gatherings were progressively cancelled as new restrictions came in daily, his work dried up - putting his bartending business Stir and Shake, and all the time and money he'd invested in it at risk.
"I lost all my bookings, everything got pushed back to the end of the year at least," the 39-year-old dad said.
"I work three jobs to support my family and it was looking pretty bad."
But things stated looked a lot better last week, when the NSW Government relaxed the state liquor laws to allow restaurants and bars to do alcohol home delivery during the shut down.
Announcing a new regulatory approach which came into force on March 24, NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said he wanted to make life easier for hospitality businesses during a "difficult and unprecedented" time.
"She said 'Imagine Mr Whippy, but with cocktails'," he said.
And so, armed with a fully stocked ute and drinks mixing equipment, Mr Calleja ventured out into Wollongong's suburbs to serve cocktails straight to people's driveways.
"I do it dressed in my full suit and bowtie that I'd normally wear for events, mix everything there on the street, and I've got lights and music going for a bit of fun," he said.
"There's obviously lots of hygiene and everything is contactless and at a distance to follow the coronavirus rules.
"I did it for the first time last night and the smiles on people's faces was priceless. There was one mum who had been homeschooling her kids all week and she said 'you gave us something to look forward to'.
His Facebook post about the new venture has attracted hundreds of likes and comments, with people who have been stuck indoors for weeks clamouring for a taste of their pre-pandemic lives.
"One bloke wrote 'not all heroes wear capes. Some drive utes and serve cocktails'," Mr Calleja said.
"That made my day."
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Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
