Small business owners across Brisbane are confronted by the possibility of being forced to close their doors permanently, as the impact of lockdown is set to linger.

Brisbane’s ‘King of Coffee’ and Coffee Commune owner Phil Di Bella told Olympia Kwitowski people will be “handing back keys” for the next four weeks.

“Most of them used up their savings in the last lockdown.

“We might end up healthy, in terms of less COVID than anybody else, but we’re going to end up in an epidemic of suicide and depression and people just not being able to afford to eat.”

Di Bella said the state government consulting with the commercial sector would go far to keeping many afloat.

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Ross Williams, owner of Fourthchild Cafe & Restaurant in Ipswich, agreed he wouldn’t be shocked to see many businesses forced to permanently close.

“It’s just devastating, actually,” he told Olympia.

“We just came out of one back in January. Honestly, we’ve only really recovered from that, getting back to normal trade three weeks ago.

“I’ve closed because the streets of Ipswich are like a ghost town.

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Image: Getty