QHA_Sep-2020_Online

TRUE GRIT SPIRIT
... WE HAVE HOWEVER CONTINUED TO DO
A LIVE STREAM EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT
ON INSTAGRAM WITH OUR HOUSE BAND,
FENNY AND THE METS WHICH FEATURES
MYSELF AS WELL AS SOME OTHER FINE
TOOWOOMBA MUSICIANS, AS WELL AS
SPECIAL GUESTS EVERY WEEK!”
Kosta Theodosis, The Met.
were going, so my biggest concern was being able
to have the same team when we returned,” Kosta
said.
“Unfortunately we had to let all our staff go when
we closed our doors. Being such a new business,
we didn’t qualify for the Jobkeeper scheme. Our
staff were just incredible and we didn’t want to lose
them, so we were very grateful to hear that they’re
all coming back,” Jasmine added.
“We completely closed the doors, and got back
to doing a few more small renovations around the
pub,” Kosta said.
“With a 156-year old building there’s always
something to do! We have however continued to do
a live stream every Thursday night on Instagram with
our house band, Fenny and the Mets which features
myself as well as some other fine Toowoomba
musicians, as well as special guests every week!”
(Kosta incidentally is a professional drummer who
has toured the world and performed with artists
such as Robbie Williams and Amy Shark).
Unlike other hotels which experienced light relief in
the form of a bottle shop to continue some element
of business operation, sadly The Met Hotel didn’t
have that option.
Across the state 27km east of Longreach, an
alternative opportunity became available when
Tracy Hatch bought the Wellshot Hotel in Ilfracombe.
She was grateful to have both a bottle service and a
place to serve coffee.
One of Tracy’s dreams with the hotel was to have
a quirky little coffee corner out of the hotel, and
with one section of the hotel opening out to the
Landsborough Highway with barn doors, Tracy
offered a coffee window and called it Coffee Hatch
which was a play on her own name.
QHA REVIEW | 45