Restaurants seek aid to to stay afloat

A new survey by Restaurants Canada shows a majority of food service businesses in Alberta say they may not have enough cash to reopen. Seven out of 10 survey respondents said they are very worried or extremely worried they won’t have the cash flow to pay rent and other bills in the next three months. According to Restaurants Canada, one in five independent restaurant operators says they’re dealing with a landlord who won’t work with them to provide rent relief. “The resiliency of our industry won’t be enough to ensure Alberta’s 11,200 restaurants remain viable in the face of insufficient cash flow and insurmountable debt,” said Mark von Schellwitz, Restaurants Canada vice-president for western Canada, in a news release. “The province needs to come to the table with a package of solutions to help these mostly small and medium-sized businesses stay afloat as they ramp up their operations.” Restaurants Canada is calling for greater tenant protection and rent relief measures, help with cash flow, and assistance with labour costs beyond the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.