* Miller: Mario's losing $150k per month

* Staff 'catch eternal hell' as lights cut off

* Galleria chief: Re-open 'right around corner'

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An ex-Cabinet minister says his family's business "doesn't know where the next dollar is coming from" as losses hit $150,000 per month due to COVID-19's devastating impact on the entertainment sector.

Leslie Miller, the former Tall Pines MP, told Tribune Business that Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Palace was having to run its air conditioning (AC) systems constantly to prevent damage to its bowling lanes despite having "zero" income and customers amid the ongoing wait for government permission to re-open.

Despite facing "dire straits", he pledged that the company will survive "as long as we have to" until it and others in the industry obtains the necessary go-ahead from the Prime Minister's Office - acting as the Competent Authority - to resume business.

Acknowledging that the Government could not be blamed for COVID-19 and its impact, Mr Miller argued that "it doesn't make sense to go out there crying and weeping" over Mario's predicament because "no one is immune" and all Bahamas-based businesses are "in the same boat".

However, he revealed that some of Mario's 52 furloughed staff were now "catching eternal hell" after Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) cut off their electricity supply for non-payment, describing this as "a really terrible situation".

With the Tonique Williams Highway venue having been closed for almost eight months under the Government's Emergency Powers Orders, Mr Miller told this newspaper: "We are in dire straits. We really don't know where the next dollar is coming from because we've found ourselves closed for so long.

"We're still running the AC for the bowling lanes. We have to. They need to be set up at a certain temperature, otherwise we could damage them. We're losing about $150,000 a month. We still have expenses but no income; none whatsoever now, zero.

"The hardest thing is our staff are now catching eternal hell. What was unfortunate last week was BPL turned off their lights. It's a really terrible situation. The minister [Desmond Bannister] indicated BPL will stop disconnections, but it seems they didn't pay him much attention. They're staff with families, and Bahamians are now only getting $100 a week in unemployment benefits."

COVID-19 has been especially brutal for the hospitality and entertainment industry. Destinations such as Mario's Bowling, as well as movie venues such as Galleria Cinemas and Fusion Superplex, have been shuttered since the pandemic first hit The Bahamas amid fears that the large crowds they attract will result in 'super-spreader' events that aid the virus' transmission.

Bars and nightclubs, too, especially those with indoor premises, face the same predicament along with newly-closed gyms and spas with no certainty on when they will be permitted to re-open by the Government.

Mr Miller, though, told Tribune Business he was baffled by the decision to allow hotels to re-open indoor dining yet "a facility with a lot of space" - such as Mario's Bowling with its 80,000 square feet was to remain shuttered.

Pointing out that Mario's could shut down "one side", or between 20-30 lanes, to enable social distancing with a restricted number of patrons, the former MP and Cabinet minister blasted: "It's very difficult to comprehend why they have allowed the hotels to have indoor dining but a facility like ours can't open. I find it a little stressful."

He added that Mario's had opened for two days in late September after learning that Carmichael Road-based Skate City had done likewise, but shut down again after learning no blanket approval had been given to entertainment businesses, saying: "We want to subscribe to the rules like everyone else."

Mr Miller was more conciliatory towards the Government's overall handling of the pandemic, saying: "We can't blame the Government because it's not the Government's fault for what is going on. Nobody knows what the road looks like going into next year.

"We're in a very terrible state. Everybody's in the same boat, and thank God for his blessings that we're still alive because many of our Bahamian brothers and sisters are dying from COVID-19. Instead of criticising the Government, try and provide some assistance. We don't know if any of us could do any better.

"We are locked down but everyone is locked down. Every Bahamian entity is in this game together, and we can't bicker and bitch. We have to save lives. Whatever comes our way we have to deal with it as best we can in the circumstances on a daily basis. Hopefully we can get to the end of the tunnel, see the light and come through."

Mr Miller argued that the increased costs associated with the Government's recent $600m foreign currency borrowing made it vital that all "pitch in and do our best on behalf of the Bahamian people". He reiterated: "It doesn't make sense to go out there crying and weeping because everyone is facing the same situation. No one is immune."

Meanwhile Chris Mortimer, Galleria Cinemas' principal, yesterday voiced optimism that the re-opening of his Mall at Marathon cinema and other entertainment businesses could be "right around the corner" as long as Bahamians all played their part in reducing COVID-19's spread and bringing numbers down.

Acknowledging that there will be no new movie releases before year-end 2020, Mr Mortimer praised the Government's efforts to contain COVID-19 and pledged that Galleria will be "ready to re-open" whenever the public health authorities deem it safe to do so.

He acknowledged, though, that Galleria - in company with cinemas and movie theatres worldwide - will only re-open with 30 percent seating capacity. "My take on it is that it's better to be safe than sorry," Mr Mortimer told Tribune Business. "I don't have anything negative to say about the Competent Authority.

"We're no different from any other business. If people are getting sick that's going to impact us as well. At this point in time the Government did what was right for the interests of the country, and hopefully people will get to the point where we have jobs again. If they don't have jobs, people have no money to come to the movies.

"I tend to put a positive spin on it. I understand what it is they're doing. We're preparing ourselves, and we'll be ready. Whenever the Competent Authority and the health authorities determine it's right to reopen will be ready. We have to get past this," he added.

"I don't think it's going to be long-term before we re-open for entertainment businesses. I think it's right around the corner as long as we continue to do the things we're required to do - wear a mask, social distancing, hand washing and sanitising."

Urging all Bahamians and businesses to take responsibility for halting COVID-19's spread, Mr Mortimer said he expected 25-30 percent movie theatre seating capacity to remain as a limit until a vaccine or effective medicines were widely available.