ONE Wentworth business says it’s hit the jackpot, with so many more mouths in town to feed.
Jackpot Bakery manager Chloe Mackie said the shop had been busier than ever since police and ADF personnel arrived to patrol the Victoria-NSW border and control the spread of COVID-19.
“There’s lots of people around,” she said.
“Being in Wentworth and near the Abbotsford Bridge, we’ve got all the Australian Defence Force blokes and the police staying in Wentworth, so we’ve been flat-out making coffees for them.”
Like many people living and working in border towns, Ms Mackie said she was initially apprehensive about the border closure.
“We weren’t sure what to expect,” she said.
“Our main employee lives in Mildura and we wondered if she was going to be able to come to work the next day.”
But she believed it was ultimately beneficial for the town, which would normally be enduring a slow winter trading period.
“Actually, it’s been good in a way. Business has picked up a bit, instead of stopping and slowing down.”
The boost to business comes as particularly welcome news after the economic devastation that came with the first wave of restrictions earlier in the year.
“It’s still been pretty steady actually, which is good because for a while there it was very, very quiet,” Ms Mackie said.
“We lost a lot of business when all the lockdowns and stuff were happening.”
With school holidays coming to an end this weekend, Ms Mackie anticipated slightly quieter trade in coming weeks, but was optimistic that Wentworth’s temporarily increased population would keep business booming for weeks to come.
“I’m not sure about how next week will go, with school being back, but we’re just taking it as it comes.”
