EAT, DRINK, GET A HAIR CUT!
City’s restaurants, pubs, hair stylists can reopen as of Monday
There have been enough dark clouds hanging over the heads of Calgary cafe, restaurant and bar owners in the past two months to last a lifetime.
Forced to close in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many owners laid off staff and watched the bills pile up. Revenues dropped off a cliff. Some won’t be back.
But on Friday, the provincial government announced it will allow establishments in Calgary and Brooks — along with hair salons and barbershops — to catch up with the rest of the province and reopen on Monday.
“I’m very happy,” said Andy Fennell, who owns Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar. “It will be a nice change to get people sitting in and at the patios. And it’s also nice now that we can bring some people back to work.”
It’s been many difficult weeks to get to the point where some optimism can return to the sector.
When the provincial government announced May 13 the first phase of relaunching the economy was proceeding the next day, restaurants and bars operators in Calgary and Brooks were held back because of the higher number of COVID-19 cases in their communities.
With those numbers falling, Premier Jason Kenney said Friday these businesses can open for table service at 50 per cent of their seating capacity.
The province has not seen increases in cases tied to reopening the economy earlier this month, which is why it’s “proceeding with confidence” in Calgary and Brooks, he said.
For local bar and restaurant operators, many who spent thousands of dollars buying food and gearing up for a May 14 relaunch, Monday hopefully marks the beginning of a comeback.
“It is amazing for our business because now we are allowed to bring back all of our employees,” said Ernie Tsu, co-owner of Trolley 5 Brewpub.
“It is going to feel a little bit different, but service levels should be the same.”
Tsu, a board member of the Alberta Hospitality Association, noted staff will be wearing masks and customers will have to sanitize their hands once they walk in the doors.
Fennell, who has two locations in the city, had to lay off all but two of his staff after the province closed cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars in mid-march as it took measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
In the past week, he’s brought back five employees and another starts on Monday, as Gravity begins welcoming customers back inside to sit down.
“The great unknown is how much revenue will come through the doors. I am optimistic that things will be able to come back and we can get moving,” Fennell said.
Those are common refrains heard throughout the industry.
George Haralabakos, who owns three World Bier Haus restaurants in the city, will be reopening his outlet in the city’s west end on Monday. But it won’t be as easy as unlocking the doors and welcoming customers back. There are new safety steps to implement.
And once you take into account social-distancing measures required between booths and tables, he said some restaurants will lose up to 70 per cent of their available seating.
“What does that do to your revenues? That’s why right now, we are in the process of operating just one (location) to feel the market,” Haralabakos said.
“You want to thrive. But right now, you’re in this mindset of, ‘OK, let’s just find a way to execute and survive to get through this.’”
Another issue is will customers come back quickly and visit bars, cafes and restaurants, or stick with takeout and delivery services?
As well, some restaurants and pubs are taking a wait-and-see approach, even though they could open next week.
“We are staying closed for dinein for the foreseeable future,” said Laura Coles of Prairie Dog Brewing in Calgary.
“The guidelines that restaurants have been given so far are really for protecting the customers. We want to make sure that our staff are safe as well.”
You don’t have to look very hard to see the economic toll on the food-services industry from the COVID-19 crisis.
In March, Restaurants Canada estimated 95,000 restaurant workers in the province had lost their job because of the pandemic.
A survey by the group last month found that half of independent restaurant operators weren’t expecting to survive if business conditions didn’t improve over three months.
Restaurants Canada projects that commercial food-services sales this year in Alberta could drop by up to 48 per cent, depending on how quickly governments ease health measures and how swiftly consumers and businesses adapt.
“The biggest concern for many of them, who were struggling coming into the pandemic, is just how long will we be able to survive under these new conditions,” said Mark von Schellwitz of Restaurants Canada.
NDP MLA Joe Ceci said the province needs to provide more supports to small businesses, including restaurants.
Specifically, the province should reimburse food outlets in Calgary and Brooks that spent money buying perishable items for a May 14 reopening, only to find out from the government with less than a day’s notice their local relaunch would be delayed.
The province also needs to press Ottawa to change its new commercial rent subsidy program to ensure small business tenants can access the promised relief, he added.
Kenney said the provincial cabinet will be meeting next week and discussing additional measures that could be taken to help small and medium-sized businesses in Alberta.
The great unknown is how much revenue will come through the doors. I am optimistic.