Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Tauranga cafe 'paying it forward' with food and entertainment night

Elizabeth Cafe and Larder owners Connie Richards and George Gibson. Photo / Supplied

A cafe struggling under the red traffic light restrictions has hatched a plan to help out other hospitality businesses and raise awareness of the sector's strife.

Tauranga's Elizabeth Cafe and Larder is hosting a burgers, beats and beers night tonight and will be "paying it forward" by donating some of the profits to Miss Gee's bar.

Cafe co-owner Connie Richards said it was "really difficult" to run a hospitality business at the moment, with so many people working from home.

Under the red traffic light setting, people should work from home if appropriate, while tertiary education, schools and early childhood care centres remain open with public health measures in place.

"To make people more aware of everyone that's struggling in [hospitality] ... we're going to pay it forward to someone else."

She and fellow co-owner George Gibson were planning an evening of live music, burgers and drinks at the cafe.

Richards was looking at holding a similar event every two weeks and changing the business the donations went to.

Miss Gee's bar owner Ashleigh Gee. Photo / Supplied

Miss Gee's bar owner Ashleigh Gee said the initiative was "amazing" and she cried when Richards called her.

"It's really cool to see businesses supporting businesses."

She said Tauranga's hospitality industry needed to "band together".

"We lean on our customers all day every day to come in the door but if it's us standing together in this and the community sees we're doing it ourselves, it's a bit stronger."

Her message to the public was: "Go to your regular places ... because while you're not there, they're still there and they've got to make it through.

"Your coffee shop down the road might not be there for your coffee in the morning on a Monday."