The experience of closing and opening — and being grateful
A commentary by the general manager of the Brentwood Bay Resort. One of a series on how local businesses are dealing with the pandemic.
What a roller coaster ride.
We said goodbye to our last pre-lockdown guests on March 21. It was an extraordinarily intense few days during which we made the hardest decision a business can make — closing under circumstances no one had experienced before. Laying off 119 staff was the most devastating part.
I call the next eight weeks of closure the long dark days, even though the sun was shining bright for much of that time.
As a hospitality professional, having an empty resort feels a bit like missing a limb or a member of my family. Thankfully, on May 20, we welcomed back 40 staff and got ready to open the first part of our business, the Pub at Brentwood Bay Resort.
I have been overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for our committed staff and loyal guests during our opening weekend. Seeing smiling faces in the morning and smelling the kitchen cooking food has been one of the most welcomed parts of my day. I also don’t have to make my own coffee anymore.
Now we adjust to new procedures, reduced capacity and continued worry for the future. The uncertainty of what is to come is the hardest part of this pandemic for me. But with all the challenges and the worry and stress, what still feels most important to notice is how the individuals who work at this beautiful resort have come together with support, joy, and flexibility.
Everyone has been willing to take on new tasks, learn new roles and are available to support the needs of the business and our guests. We are all learning and embracing this challenge together.
I decided to work the front line during each stage of opening. As a result, I am acting as hostess in the Pub and Arbutus Room on Friday and Saturdays (come say hi) and supervising on Mondays. My food and beverage manager has told me I’ll have to train my replacement when the rest of the resort opens up and I will once again be too busy to cover these roles.
The best part of this experience so far has been getting to know the team on a much more intimate level.
I have seen tears of pleasure just for being back at work.
I have seen awful blisters, including my own, on everyone’s feet.
I have watched my staff stretching their sore bodies.
I have also seen our cooks struggling to communicate through muffled masks and experience extreme discomfort from the added heat of having one’s face half covered. A role that was already brutally hot just got worse, and it’s not even summer yet. I’m worried about heat exhaustion.
Despite all these new stresses and pressures, the food has never looked better, the communication has never been clearer, systems are being streamlined and staff are asking questions and making suggestions. I feel such gratitude for the strength of our team.
This is the best part of the pandemic for me. And then there are the guests. People are so happy to be out again. They are gleeful, thanking us just for being open.
They are patient and grateful with lines, curious about the changes we’ve had to make and they are impressed with our service and tell us so.
They also linger way too long, which used to be frustrating for the staff and the waiting guests, but now everyone is happy and accepting of each other.
Over and over again we hear relief in our guests’ voices as they share their worry that we would be closed permanently, which unfortunately is the reality for many hospitality businesses.
We are a part of weekly routines, a gathering place for family, friends and neighbours and we all just became aware of how fragile and vitally important businesses like ours are to the community.
What I hope we might learn from these challenging times is that service is a matter of kindness and grace, like a wonderful gift we give and receive as a community.
I have never felt more proud of this industry and the remarkable organization that I have the honour of leading.