The Ontario government’s Dec. 17 announcement ordering the partial closure of dining rooms in restaurants and bars is yet another test for Toronto restaurant owners, who have suffered some of the longest restrictions in North America. The dining rooms have been closed for more than 365 days since March 2020.
As of Sunday, restaurants and bars can only accommodate customers until 11 p.m., at 50% capacity, in addition to having to stop selling alcohol at 10 p.m. A maximum of ten people can sit at the same table. “It penalizes us once again”, laments Pascal Geffroy, owner of the restaurant Batifole, in the east of the city of Toronto, who plans to reopen his restaurant on December 28, in time for New Year’s Eve. .
This is the third full or partial closure of dining halls in Toronto since March 2020. The longest downtime in the Queen City – a full closure of halls between October 10, 2020 and July 16, 2021 – lasted almost 275 days. 1er July 2021, Toronto was the only North American city where it was not possible to eat inside a restaurant, according to the Restaurants Canada association.
No immediate financial assistance was offered by the Ontario government to restaurateurs at the time of the announcement last Friday. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on Wednesday finally offered rebates equivalent to 50% of property tax and energy costs to businesses while they are subject to capacity limits. “We have 50% less turnover, but the rent remains at 100%. I have the impression that they want to eliminate us, ”drops Pascal Geffroy. The latter submitted a request for a grant of $ 20,000 to the province in 2020, but received nothing. “I hope this time we have better luck,” he said.
“We’re so used to it now,” sighs Nancy Thornhill, owner of Farmhouse Tavern in the Junction Triangle neighborhood, reacting to new announcements from the provincial government. Seeing the number of COVID-19 cases increase in Toronto, the manager prepared for lockdown with her team ahead of Premier Doug Ford’s announcement on December 17. “We learned on Friday that we had to close Sunday morning – it would have been nice to have better notice,” she said.
Hard blow before the holidays
A half-dozen Christmas celebrations were held in December at the Farmhouse Tavern restaurant, but most were canceled, according to Nancy Thornhill. The preparation is “immense” for the Holidays, notes the owner. Pascal Geffroy, for his part, had ordered truffles and foie gras for holiday suppers, but he now feels that the government is “pulling the rug out from under him”.
Billy Pachis, owner of the Black Swan Tavern on Danforth Avenue, will only keep his two full-time employees. “I don’t think I’m going to pay myself,” he said. “Now is not the time for the restrictions since we usually have a New Year’s show,” he adds.
“It’s exhausting,” says Nancy Thornhill, who has been considering shutting everything down for the holidays, as at least a dozen restaurants and bars in Toronto have decided to do. This is the case of restaurant Sugo, of owner Conor Joerin, which will post “closed” in three days. “At 50% capacity, the profit margins aren’t great and with the increase in cases, we didn’t want to put employees at risk,” says Conor Joerin. “We’ve been through this for 22 months, we’re tired of making decisions such as choosing to make take-out,” he adds.
Low percentage of outbreaks
Outbreaks in restaurants, bars and nightclubs – aggregated by the government – account for 2% of the 750 active outbreaks in Ontario, according to data from the Ministry of Health. According to Toronto public health data, there are four active outbreaks in restaurants or bars in the municipality. A restaurant of The Keg chain downtown was temporarily closed on December 11.
“The problem with restaurants is that it gives the opportunity to several households to meet, which multiplies the contacts”, warns the Dr Santiago Perez Patrigeon, infectious disease specialist at Kingston General Hospital. Contacts were to be reduced by 50% starting today if the province is to limit the number of new daily cases to 5,000, according to the Ontario Scientific Advisory Group on COVID-19, a team of experts who advises the provincial government.
Nancy Thornhill and Pascal Geffroy do not give up, however. “I put all my energy into this restaurant for ten years to build its reputation. Am I going to lose it all for nothing? », Launches the owner of Batifole. “I am 53 years old, my career has ended in catering. If I find myself unemployed tomorrow, it will be difficult to find a job, ”he said. “We’re going to get through it, I’m sure,” Nancy Thornhill concludes.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.