Few customers at downtown bars and restaurants
Merchants experience sudden drought as customers try to stay safe and stay away
The sky isn’t falling. Yet.
A week ago at noon, you almost needed a crowbar to elbow your way through the hungry hordes at the Time Out Market in the Eaton Centre. But Friday at noon this week, you could have tossed a crowbar at the market entrance and probably would not have struck anyone.
Then again, you could have rolled a bowling ball through some of the floors of the Eaton Centre, Place Montreal Trust and Les Cours Mont-royal and not done much damage, either. Were it not for the sales staffs, most of the boutiques would have been otherwise empty Friday at lunch hour.
Talk about social distancing by default.
In fairness, however, downtown businesses really didn’t have much of a chance at lunch hour: The weather was miserable until later Friday afternoon. Schools, sporting events and cultural activities were — pick your synonym — paused, postponed, cancelled or suspended. Also, there were many in adjacent office buildings who had been told/ordered to work at home. Plus, given the ever-volatile stock market, financial insecurity had to have had an impact on consumers.
And, oh yeah, there was the raison d’être for all the aforementioned developments: the coronavirus.
Still, business was extremely brisk at a couple of downtown spots — namely supermarkets and drug stores (despite the fact that those pharmacies checked had no hand-sanitizers in stock, much to the chagrin of shoppers).
But, without question, the biggest lineup spotted, a halfblock long in the pouring rain, was outside the Ste-catherine St. W. SQDC pot shop. Coincidence? I think not.
We are entering uncharted territory. And this is but the beginning. Some have speculated the whole city could soon be put in lockdown if the pandemic worsens.
Steve, a manager at one Eaton Centre shop, pointed out that business had been fine until Thursday: “Then, boom, it just died right down. Obviously, it’s the fear of the coronavirus, and so much being shut down in the city. It’s spooky, but I think people are getting overexcited.”
Julia, a cook at one of the most popular Time Out Market stalls, just hopes to keep working: “Everything was great, and then just this week, it had all changed. Now I’m hearing stories the market may even have to shut down for a bit.”
Steve, a manager at another market hot spot, also heard this rumour: “Maybe even by Monday. Something has to give. We can’t operate with full staffs and few customers.”
In fact, there is no plan to close. Time Out Market issued this official statement Friday afternoon: “We are dedicated to creating an environment that is as safe as possible. Therefore, we have implemented and intensified precautionary measures. … We are continuing to monitor the situation and to take advice from local governments and health authorities.”
Time Out regular Rob Hiscock, a financial analyst who works nearby, understands the current concerns. “One has to be cautious and try to avoid large crowds, which won’t be a problem today and which is why I came,” he said. “Normally, this market is packed to the rafters.”
Business was more bustling at Le Cathcart food hall in Place Ville Marie. There were lineups at the quick takeout kiosks, but fewer customers at the sit-down restos.
Waiting patiently in line at one of the kiosks was Claude St-hilaire, a financial consultant working in an upstairs PVM office. This was to be his last lunch at the hall for a spell. “This is my last day here, because we just got the word we all have to work from home starting next week,” he said. “It may look busy here now, but it’s actually quite quiet. It’s usually three times more crowded than this at lunch.”
Business looked bleaker at restaurants and boutiques along Ste-catherine St. But Regine Kadoch, assistant manager at Ernest, tried to sound a more upbeat tone.
“It’s slow, but people are just being diligent in protecting themselves and others,” she said. “We’ve lived through so much, but we can’t live in fear. We’ll live through this, too, as long as we don’t panic and don’t have people fighting for toilet paper, of all things.”
Longtime Winnie’s bartender Donna Cotton saw her regular lunchtime crowd almost completely dissipated Friday: “There are few regulars and almost no students or tourists. I haven’t seen the place this empty in years.”
Sam Tadros, owner of the Milsa restaurant chain, including one on Crescent St., was also singing the coronavirus blues. Hotel and convention business he counts on have taken a huge hit. “Business was already down 50 per cent last week, and it’s going to get much worse, I’m afraid. We’ve had our share of problems downtown with construction and parking, but it’s never been like this. And who knows when it will ever end?”
Ziggy’s Pub owner Ziggy Eichenbaum saw dark clouds ahead, particularly with events at the nearby Bell Centre curtailed for now: “There’s no sports, period, even to watch at my bar. I figure business will be down about 60 to 70 per cent. These are scary times. It hasn’t been slow like this since 9/11.
“But I did catch a lucky break Thursday night,” he mused. “Because their game with the Canadiens got cancelled and because they had nowhere to go until their flight left later that evening, I had the Buffalo Sabres team in. They had a few drinks and had a good time before flying off.”
There will probably be no complaints of an economic slump at Adonis and nearby IGA in Alexis Nihon Plaza for now. Martha O’connor noted that customers, many wearing latex gloves, were in a near-manic state at both spots. She waited 30 minutes at the IGA checkout line to pay.
“It was just nuts,” she said. “People were piling up on everything, from milk to toilet paper. It was like they were expecting World War III to break out. At this rate, one has to wonder how long the stock will hold out.
“Hopefully, this madness ends soon.”