SWAN Hill hospitality venues are now required to take all reasonable steps to ensure patrons aren't from Melbourne before seating them or face a $9913 fine.
The new rule for regional Victorian businesses was announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday.
Metropolitan Melbourne residents are only allowed to travel into regional Victoria for permitted reasons, but must abide by the city's rules while there.
Mr Andrews said it was more important than ever that we're doing everything we can to protect the hard work on regional Victorians.
"To date, businesses that are currently closed in Melbourne but are open in regional Victoria have been asked to check the addresses of their customers when taking bookings," he said.
"From midnight tonight, this requirement will be made even stronger, with businesses who consciously fail to check their customers are not from metropolitan Melbourne facing fines of up to $9913.
"This check could be achieved by asking customers to show their driver's license or Keypass ID.
"Regional businesses who do the right thing but are misled by someone intent on breaking the rules will not be fined under the changes.
"Instead, individuals found deliberately ignoring the restrictions will risk a fine of $1652."
Boo's Place Cafe & Provedore owner Rebecca Hart said it was a lot to police and "really tough" with junior staff to ask to check ID.
"It's a big ask, a table of eight, for example, all have to sanitise, sign in with name, number, address and postcode. Then we have to ask and handle each person's licence individually and check against 300 postcodes," she said.
"This takes a person about 15 minutes. Also, this staff member has had to be added as it takes one person to police it. Another cost.
"We have one-and-a-half hour sittings, and they haven't even got a menu yet.
"Dan the man has obviously never worked in hospitality. Also don't forget you can only have 10 sitting down in each cafe so we need to flip the tables.
"It's really time consuming, but 500 people can walk into Coles and Bunnings at any time.
"We have had the toughest year and whatever the weekly new rules are, we just have to adapt and do.
"A $10,000 fine, which would sink many cafes, is not something I want to get hit with."
