Alberta restaurant owners frustrated as COVID-19 closures cut into prime patio season
Posted May 5, 2021 3:08 pm.
Last Updated May 5, 2021 6:38 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY – Alberta bar and restaurant owners say they’re frustrated their patios are being forced to close under tighter COVID-19 restrictions just as the weather is starting to warm up.
Ben Leon, an owner at Dandy Brewing Co. in Calgary, says he understands tougher measures are needed to get infections under control.
But he wishes the government had cracked down months ago instead of waiting until patio season was just gearing up.
READ MORE: Any Albertan 12 and older eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday
Leon adds the brewery has spent around $10,000 to spruce up its outdoor space.
Calgary restaurateur Leslie Echino had been banking on serving more than two dozen people at a time on an expanded patio at Annabelle’s Kitchen.
She says restaurants need more provincial support and she’s most worried about how the off-and-on closures are affecting her staff’s mental health.
Meanwhile, Prarie Dog Brewing in Calgary invested in a new patio to accommodate patrons, but with the new restrictions, have been left hanging.
“We are terrified, it means we just invested $10,000 into being able to survive and that’s been taken away from us, it’s frustrating.” said owner Laura Coles.
Coles is frustrated because she says they have been following the rules, and feel like they continue to pay for other people’s mistakes.
“We have always followed AHS guidelines as the bare minimum, we stayed closed for 6 months last year when we could have been open to ensure that we were opening as safely as we could for our guests and our staff,” she said.
