Chris Hellman provides a thumbs up on his way into the Mezz on Wednesday afternoon. The owner of Moxies says community response to a support local campaign will be critical for restaurants and retailers that face strict health restrictions as the Christmas season gets underway.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Restaurants in the city are relaunching efforts to attract takeout and pickup diners as they head toward heavier health restrictions next week, but local restaurateurs say it’s not the scramble they saw in the spring.
Eating establishments will be limited to takeout and delivery service only for the next four weeks as the province attempts to halt rising transmission of COVID-19.
Bars and lounges will close completely under the order that’s in place until Jan. 4, as will banquet halls and large dining rooms that depend on Christmas parties for a major share of annual income.
Sou Boss of the Thai Orchid Room says operating conditions were already hampered under dine-in restrictions launched in late November, which limited groups and capacity. That slowdown in business will become more acute in the weeks ahead, but she said hard work this summer is proving valuable.
“It’s not such a shock, and we are in a better position,” she said Wednesday.
The family-run restaurant will again offer meal kits for patrons to put together and cook at home.
They were offered in the spring as a way to keep connected with customers and maintain some activity, and Boss says they proved so popular, customers began inquiring about getting them again for Holiday meals.
“We had a meeting with staff about ‘what can we do here?’,” said Boss, who will use her regular staff to deliver the packs. “Hopefully it will keep some hours and a bit of income coming for them during the Holidays.”
Many restaurants started curbside pickup or delivery systems from scratch in the spring and summer, and that will be the only trade when restrictions come into effect at 12 a.m. on Sunday.
Several “buy local” styled campaigns are underway, and suggest making an extra effort to use curbside pickup service to avoid online delivery fees that cut into the restaurant’s take.
Chris Hellman owns the Moxies location on Dunmore Road and says continued support from customers for general takeout or delivery is crucial for all restaurants that will be hit hard losing busy Christmas season parties, as well as catering events.
“I expect that (business conditions) will be a lot like the spring,” he told the News. “We’re not excited about it, but it is what it is.”
Many bars and lounges, without product that can be delivered, are facing a Holiday hiatus during a typically bustling time of year.
John Hashem, owner of Whisky Creek Pub, said his location off Gershaw Drive that employees 10 people will close completely next week for the duration of the restrictions.
“We’ve bent over backwards to make sure we’re doing everything right, and there’s no statistics I’ve seen (about spread in) bars or restaurants, but we’re getting the brunt of the restrictions,” he said.
“We’ll conform, but it’s gonna hurt for sure.”
Restaurants Canada, a lobby group which represents franchise owners and others in the food and accommodation business, states in a recent release that it believes only one out of five restaurants are breaking even under generally lower activity during the pandemic. It also states that a return to profitability for others could take up to one year.
