Editorial
The $60 Pasta Problem
Trap 2: The Platform Tax
Uber Eats seemed like easy revenue. Then you factor in their 35% commission, packaging costs, mandatory discounts, and extra labour. Are you actually making money? Or just working harder to break even? Many operators see the sales numbers and assume it’s good. After all costs, some deliveries are literally losing money.
You’ve done the maths. With food costs up 30%, wages climbing, and rent still rising, you should be charging $60 for that pasta dish. But you can’t. Your customers would walk out. So instead, you’re making less on every plate, hoping to make it up on volume. Except the volume isn’t there either. Walk down any street in Tasmania and you’ll see it. Cafés closed on Mondays. Restaurants with reduced hours. Competitors who quietly shut their doors. You survived winter. But here’s the uncomfortable question: will summer be busy enough to make up for what winter cost you?
Trap 3: The ATO Delay
When cash gets tight, there’s that tempting account. Your GST. Your team’s super. The quarterly tax bill. But from July 1, Super goes pay-as-you-go. No more quarterly catch-ups. And interest on ATO debt? Not tax-deductible anymore. They’re done being your bank. If you’ve been kicking payments down the road, summer is the time to catch up.
The Post-Winter Reality
Most hospitality owners think making it through winter means they’re safe. In reality, winter often delays the reckoning. Those ATO bills you pushed back. The super payments you’re behind on. The credit you’ve been riding with suppliers. Summer will be busy. But will it be profitable enough to catch up and put something aside for next winter?
Don’t Sleepwalk into next winter
The hospitality owners who thrive aren’t necessarily the busiest. They’re the ones who understand their numbers, plan ahead, and face problems early. Summer is your window. Not just to survive, but to set yourself up properly. To know which menu items actually make money. To understand if delivery platforms are helping or hurting. To get clear on what needs to change before next winter arrives.
Here are three traps waiting right now.
Trap 1: The Margin Squeeze
Suppliers raised prices. Staff got their award increase. But your menu prices? You nudged them up nervously and stopped when customers started commenting. That gap is eating your business alive. Every busy night feels successful until you check what actually hits your bank account. The wake-up call: Compare your food cost percentage to two years ago. If it’s crept up more than 2-3%, your margins have disappeared.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
You survived winter. Now let’s make sure the next 12 months are sustainable, not just survivable. Contact Bruno at bpalermo@collinssba.com.au for a free one-hour Summer Readiness Review. We’ll look at where you stand, identify the gaps, and help you make the most of the busy months ahead. For confidence’s sake, let’s get clear on your numbers.
49 Tasmanian Hospitality Review December/January Edition
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