Coolangatta businesses battling for return to normal months after Queensland-NSW border reopens

Manager Julie Craig, left, with colleague Stacey-Maree Rigney, says she moved into the Coolangatta Hotel to help it get through pandemic lockdowns. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Nearly five months after the barricades came down along the Queensland border and crippling restrictions were eased, fortunes have been mixed for Coolangatta businesses.

Early last year, Coolangatta Hotel venue manager Julie Craig and some of her colleagues moved into the pub to make sure they could keep the business going.

"We're back to full trade; it's really good now," she said.

They have gone from seeing despondent regulars literally crying into their beers, to hosting functions again and welcoming unvaccinated patrons and staff. 

It has been a slow rebuild for Coolangatta businesses. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

For the first time since COVID restrictions began, the hotel had a six-month marketing strategy.

"It was day by day, even hour by hour," Ms Craig said.

"We laugh. It's all going to be a piece of history that we'll remember."

Despite her sunny disposition the hotel manager admitted her emotions were still raw.

Life was very different when COVID border closures were in place. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Nearby at Cooly for Men, Peter Scott, who has owned the shop for decades, told a different story.

"We've had a tough two years. We were cut off from our locals and didn't have any travellers from interstate or overseas."

Despite the struggle he was optimistic after securing a 12-month deal with his landlord.

"March trading was very good, so I thought we're coming back," he said.

Mr Scott says his menswear shop is in "survival mode". (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

But then the floods hit, followed by a spate of wet weather.

"Everything should be back to normal but it's not. The weather hasn't helped," Mr Scott said. 

"We're probably having the worst year we've had outside of the pandemic."

Checkpoints were a common sight along the Queensland-NSW border. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

He takes heart that customers who heard of his business struggle had gone out of their way to make purchases, some even travelling from Brisbane. 

"It takes a little bit of sourness off the thing."

Ms Lean is struggling to find staff. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Coolangatta Coffee Club franchisee Julie-Anne Lean was somewhere in between Ms Craig and Mr Scotts experiences.

"I'm feeling a lot more positive. It's not there quite yet," Ms Lean said.

Other Coolangatta business face an uphill battle finding workers. (ABC Gold Coast: Cathy Border)

Her major issue was finding cafe staff.

'We'll take what we can get and be grateful for the really good trading periods."

The business community looked forward to the popular Cooly Rocks On festival, which starts next week.