Lexie's on the Beach manager Vinny Sovechles says the loss of at least three days trade due to the Stockton erosion crisis will cost the cafe "tens of thousands" of dollars in lost revenue.
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But it is the potential long-term impact of the unrelenting disaster that the business is more concerned about.
After City of Newcastle forced the closure of the council-owned building on Thursday night "until it is again safe for the public to enter", Mr Sovechles made dozens of calls to the cafe's 25 staff and those who had reservations for Valentine's Day to deliver the bad news.
The cafe usually does about 500 orders across a weekend's trade, which financially nets the same as Monday to Friday, and has 11 staff working each day.
Mr Sovechles said he had attempted to cancel deliveries, but with almost no notice there would be losses incurred as food went unused.
"We've had to close, we'll get through the swell this weekend and then hopefully go back to normal," he said.
"We've got to wait to see what happens and what they tell us Monday morning."
City of Newcastle said it was an "extremely difficult decision" to rule the cafe off-limits for three days, but it could "no longer guarantee public safety" in the area.
Mr Sovechles and his dad have run the popular cafe for about three years. When they took on the lease they were aware Stockton had historical erosion issues, but have been astounded at how quickly the beach, and foreshore, has been eaten away.
"It's been insane how fast it's moved," he said.
"We need to replenish the sand. We need sand to be dredged from offshore, which there's rules around doing. It's only our state that has [legislation preventing] that.
"We need that to be changed by the state [government] and we can fix it in a couple of weeks for a fraction of the cost."
The cafe's trade has remained steady during the ongoing erosion woes, but Mr Sovechles is concerned the reputation damage to Stockton will ultimately hit the business's bottom line.
"They've got this erosion issue that they're trying to fix with band-aids," he said.
"What do we need, do we need a few Mitchell Street homes falling in? Do we need a death? I don't know, I don't get the process."
Stockton Surf Life Saving Club president Callan Nickerson said the closure "highlights the level of inaction".
"It's a totally preventable scenario," he said. "It's another example of community infrastructure falling on its knees as a result of the erosion.
We've had the daycare centre, we've had Lexie's, what's next? The surf club?
- Stockton surf club preisdent Callan Nickerson
The surf club has a rock wall preventing it from coming under direct attack. This week's pounding gnawed at the wall and eroded the adjoining shoreline.
The club is concerned about its future at the site and has asked council to monitor the building's structural integrity.
"As a club we have to realistically consider [relocation]," Mr Nickerson said. "We'd be mad if we buried our head in the sand and disregarded that and said this will be the clubhouse position forever."
About 100 nippers have dropped out of the club's program due to the state of the beach, Mr Nickerson said, but the 200 that remained had helped the club through "the most trying time" in its 112-year history.
"We were going to run this weekend, but we can't because there's no beach. We were going to patrol, but can't get down there," he said.
"It's been the toughest season we've ever had to endure for nippers.
"Almost a third we've lost because of our beach, but the people who have stuck around have shown incredible support."
