CHINATOWN GHOST TOWN
Community hit hard by COVID-19: entrepreneurs
Edmonton restaurant owner Tom Ly can't take another hit.
Located on the second floor of the Pacific Rim Mall in the city's Chinatown district, Ly's Dynasty Century Palace Restaurant has been a staple in the area for the past seven years. With COVID-19 infection rates soaring across the province, Ly said the situation is just as bad as it was when the pandemic started in March.
He said he's lucky if he's able to get people to dine in on a given day and has had to put more of an emphasis on takeout and delivery to attract customers.
“I turned this 10,000 squarefoot restaurant into a takeout place, which doesn't make sense but at the same time, I don't have a choice,” Ly said. “With the cases so high, it's just as bad as it was in March. You get the first punch then and now you get the second punch. If I get the third punch, I'm pretty sure I'll shut down.”
He said his restaurant was hit particularly hard because he relied on large gatherings such as banquets to cater to.
The province brought in new restrictions last month in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus including banning all indoor social gatherings and limiting outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 10 people. Weddings and funeral services are also limited to 10 people.
Ly said people are scared to come out to restaurants and he believes Chinatown has been stigmatized because of an outbreak at a longterm care home.
“Once the (news) hits and it says Chinatown seniors' home, then people automatically think it's the whole Chinatown,” he said. “It's just the way people think. (They think) Chinatown is infected with
COVID then people just stay away from the area.”
Ly said many other businesses have been struggling as well and described the area as being a ghost town.
Adam Richmond, a manager at Padmanadi, said business, particularly in-person dining, has taken a major hit since the pandemic started. While delivery and takeout has been fairly steady, he said the downtown location often has lots of room available for those looking to dine in.
Richmond said he didn't believe Chinatown has been singled out in any way as all businesses across the city are struggling to get customers.
“I think if you look around the city, in virtually all corners, people just aren't out and about,” he said. “Even driving down the road, there's not a crazy amount of traffic. You've got quite a few people who have transitioned to working from home. So anything to do with the downtown core is just quieter because people aren't travelling in for work.”
Wen Wang, executive director of the Chinatown and Area Business Association, said he hasn't personally heard of the area facing any stigmatization so far.
He said the pandemic has made an already difficult situation for Chinatown businesses more challenging as fewer people are walking the streets.
Wang said the vast majority of businesses in Chinatown are in the food and beverage industry.
“Chinatown is getting worse,” he said.
“We don't have as many customers as before. The pandemic is a big reason but even before the pandemic, the economy wasn't as good as it was before. I remember earlier this year, January or February, our businesses told me their business was not as good as before.”
Wang said another challenge the area is facing is an increase in arson and vandalism, although he argued this isn't a problem unique to Chinatown. He said he's heard of a few businesses having their windows smashed.
Wang said he hopes the city provides more peace officers to patrol the area.
“Security is our priority this year but next year is marketing and promotion,” he said. “We hope more customers ... come back for a visit and shop here.”