The CEO of Navarra Venues, which operates some of Sydney’s prominent wedding and event venues, says the business will reopen “to any numbers” of guests next month, despite current restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19.

The company operates a number of event venues across Sydney, including Le Montage in Lilyfield, Curzon Hall in Marsfield and Oatlands House in Oatlands.

Taking to Instagram to make his announcement, Sal Navarra said the company is planning to reopen either on the “first, seventh or 15th of July”.

“After seeing what happened over the weekend with the protests, with restaurants opening, to be honest not really social distancing happening…with the Government [okay with] all of this but leaving our industry sort of closed is something that I don’t understand,” he said.

“We are reopening and we are reopening to any numbers,” Navarra went on to say, before adding social distancing measures will be in place and hand sanitiser will be available.

“We don’t want to deal with upset brides, upset clients anymore, because it’s not fair on them.”

The Instagram post gained mixed reactions with some labelling the announcement “tone deaf” and “unbelievable and unprofessional”, while others supported the move, saying the company is “leading the way”.

Navarra concluded the announcement with a prediction that there won’t be a spike in COVID-19 cases in the weeks to come.

“Hopefully in the next 10 days when we don’t have a spike in the coronavirus and my prediction is correct, which will make us open on the first or the seventh or the 15th of July,” he said.

View the full video from Navarra Venues here:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBKq1sVnloX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link