Mixed feelings in restaurateurs as province eases restrictions
In response to Ottawa's imminent return to the Ontario government's “Orange” status for pandemic restrictions, some restaurants will reopen their dining rooms even as they dread possible future lockdowns and the rise of new COVID-19 variants, while others will face an uncertain future by only selling food to go.
The last set of constantly changing COVID -19 restrictions had left Ottawa's dining rooms and patios closed since Dec. 26, when a provincewide shutdown was imposed. On Friday, the province announced that Ottawa was among the public health regions that would return to the intermediate Orange status as of Tuesday, and the stay-at-home order will be lifted.
Under the Orange designation, restaurants can seat a maximum of 50 customers indoors with physical distancing. Customers must wear masks when they aren't eating or drinking, and tables can hold four customers as most. Last call will be at 9 p.m., with closing set at 10 p.m.
Devinder Chaudhary, owner of Aiana, the fine-dining restaurant in the Sun Life Financial Centre, said he and his staff would be “delighted” to welcome dine-in customers when Aiana reopens Wednesday.
But Chaudhary was already casting barbs at the Ontario government in advance, critical of the possibility of a future lockdown given that some experts predict a third wave of the pandemic this spring.
“Government's on-again, offagain approach does not seem to be helping anyone. If this pandemic is going to be endemic, we must learn to live with it. It is impractical to subject businesses to these abrupt closures,” Chaudhary said.
“The government must trust the good judgment of business establishments and devote resources in ensuring that all precautions such as physical distancing and use of face masks are being adhered to. Shutting down is not the solution.”
Friday's provincial announcement stated that, after Tuesday, Ottawa and other public health regions that are reopening will stay in their levels for at least two weeks, after which the government will assess the impact of public health and workplace safety measures to determine if each region should stay where is or move.
“The new variants are very worrying, for sure,” said Harriet Clunie, chef at Das Lokal in Lowertown.
Clunie said she would keep her restaurant's dining room closed if it were viable, but, after “the most dismal January of all time,” she felt she had no choice.
She said Das Lokal was putting its faith in multiple revenue streams and would stock a fridge with fresh food products, groceries and wine to sell.
Restaurants need to take a “three- or four-prong approach” to making money, she said.
“Just takeout is not enough,” she added.
And yet, Ramya Dandamudi, the chef and owner of Cumin Indian Grill in Centretown, said her tiny restaurant would keep its dining room closed and only sell takeout food at dinner time.
“I'm just going to keep it as takeout for now, until the economy is completely open,” Dandamudi said. Downtown Ottawa is a ghost town bereft of customers and her small, narrow eatery is not worth operating with physical distancing rules in place, she said.
Emma Campbell, a co-owner of Corner Peach in Centretown, said Ottawa's shift to Orange status wouldn't change her business. Corner Peach decided last July to operate as a store for a year, she said.
“We pretty much changed our entire business model,” Campbell said. The prospect of alternating between opening and closing the 20-seat dining room just didn't appeal, she explained.
“We never pivoted to dining,” Campbell said. “It was too emotional to just think of putting all that effort in just to have it taken away again.”
“We're pretty grateful that we made that call (to become a store),” Campbell said.
“Taking control of the situation was a big stress reliever for us. My heart goes out to the people who have been up and down and open and closed for all these months.”