Many business owners were looking forward to welcoming patrons back and getting the tills ringing again, following nearly two months with little or no cash flow.
But questions lingered over how they would implement measures required under Level 2 when it was introduced.
When announcing what Level 2 would look like, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said hospitality businesses needed to abide by the three "S" words — customers had to be seated, separated, and served by one person.
For pint-sized establishment Inch Bar, that meant running primarily on a booking system.
Manager Marama Smyth said the bar would start a "book a bubble" system, where a group could book a space for a set period of time.
There would be a small charge for the booking for which nibbles would be provided.
There would still be a table for locals who knew each other to come in and sit together, as they usually did.
The measures would allow staff to manage things like contact-tracing and physical distancing better.
"Our concern was that if people are just going to be wandering in willy-nilly, it’s hard to keep those customers away from each other."
In the city centre, Albar owner Steve Collins said he was confident the bar could operate under Level 2.
"All our tables are kind of split up quite nicely anyway."
Some bigger tables would be swapped out for smaller ones, to allow for more spacing.
Craft Bar & Kitchen owner John MacDonald said some prices might have to go up, to help cover increased costs required to stick to the rules.
There was still a lot of uncertainty around restrictions, and how they would be practically implemented, he said.
The bar was licensed for 295 people, and would be able seat close to the 100-person maximum.
Some measures could cause some headaches for those who chose to open, he said.
"If it requires additional labour and additional cost, then you’ve really got to wonder if it’s worth it."
Despite the logistical issues, he hoped the rules were enforced.
"We don’t want to backwards in terms of our level."
The sooner Level 2 began, the better, he said.
Meanwhile, Otago Southland Employers’ Association chief executive Virginia Nicholls called for the country to go into Level 2 on Monday, if case numbers remained low.
"Businesses have shown that they can use some entrepreneurial, safe ways of working, which will put them in a good position to meet the requirements of Alert Level 2."
