Sadness and resilience among restaurateurs and tenants
The Eastern Townships will go from yellow zone to orange zone on Thursday and the more severe regulations associated with this situation are far from delighting restaurateurs and tenants in the region who fear an upcoming closure of their business.
Share September 29, 2020 6:15 p.m. Share Sadness and resilience among restaurateurs and tenants
Mélanie Noël La Tribune L'Estrie will go on Thursday from yellow zone to orange zone and the more severe regulations associated with this situation are far from delighting restaurateurs and tenants in the region who fear an imminent closure of their business.
“I feel a mixture of sadness and resilience. We felt we were going there when the second wave was mentioned in the media, but that does not suit us. All the Christmas parties we had booked have been canceled. Small group bookings have also been canceled, ”says Liverpool Bar co-owner Annie Faucher.
Same story with Chez Stanley resto-bar. “Several group bookings have been canceled. It is certain that it makes a difference tables of up to six people with 50 percent capacity and social distancing which must be respected, ”says co-owner Luc Laplante.
Remember that from Thursday, the maximum number of people per table in restaurants and bars will go from ten to six, the end of the sale of alcohol and food will go from midnight to 11 p.m. and the maximum closing time will go from 1 to midnight. .
“In addition, I got a message telling me that Dr Poirier, from Public Health, suggested that people not go to restaurants for 28 days. It will give a blow. This is not good news, ”adds Mr. Laplante, adding that he misunderstands the government's decision which requires the closure of restaurants and bars in the red zone.
“People can gather at Rona or Costco, but not in restaurants where plexiglass have been installed,” he laments.
For the co-owner of La Seigneurie brewery, it is still too early to assess the impact of moving to the orange zone. “This Tuesday noon, we had a better noon than we usually do so I don't know if people are taking advantage of it for fear of what will happen. It is certain that with the closure of the terrace and the tables for six, we will be limited in terms of space. Normally, this is a period when we do a lot of advertising. But there, it is certain that we will not tell people to come and see us if the government says otherwise, ”notes Jean-Sébastien MacAulay-Bruneau.
The financial situation of restaurateurs and tenants was already weakened. “Already the traffic on Thursdays, which is often linked to happy hours between colleagues in the office, had greatly decreased with teleworking. What bothers me the most is having to cut the working hours of my staff, ”adds Ms. Faucher, specifying that according to her, the Eastern Townships will be in the red zone within ten days.
Annie Faucher Archives La Tribune
A second closure would hurt even more
“The second shutdown will hurt even more than the first. And for how long will we be closing? We're talking about 28 days, but we don't know. We know we have to do our part, but it is not motivating to manage the decline after 30 years of existence, ”emphasizes Ms. Faucher.
Cutting of working hours, tighter inventory management, planning of alternative income in the event of a second closure imposed by Public Health. The adjustments are numerous. “In addition, if we refine, it will not be in the same economic context as during the first confinement. The ECP is over and the pockets of governments are not bottomless, ”notes Ms. Faucher, who is uncertain whether she will personally re-embark on home food deliveries and take-out meals.
For its part, the Stanley will focus on take-out meals and deliveries in the event of a second closure.
In addition, the co-owner of Liverpool underlines the contribution of the federal government in this crisis. “We are lucky that we have the wage subsidy and the rent aid. These are our two big expenses and without this help we could not get through. Provincial government loans are all very well, but with loans, we are rushing. “
