BC's Hospitality Industry Takes Another Hit With Last Minute NYE Restrictions: Our Thoughts

The restaurant and bar scene has been teetering on the edge for most of the year. The Provincial Government doesn’t seem cognizant of that in their 11th hour amendments to public health guidelines.

CTC News

• Midrange Staff @midrangeyvr

The BC restaurant and bar industry was hit with surprise, and potentially devastating updates to Covid 19 restrictions for NYE by the provincial government. With less than 24 hours to go until diners attended planned reservations, often for special tasting menus, the BC Health Authority moved to ban the sale of liquor in any restaurant, bar, or liquor store past 8pm. Residents and businesses that had only recently gotten used to the 10pm closures implemented in the fall were under the impression that festivities could be enjoyed until then. The update to the rules is dramatic and unexpected considering the short notice. Tristan and Jamie share their admittedly gut reactions to this turn of events and what it means for restaurants on one of the most important services of the year.

Tristan - Jamie: you, I and Mickey have all worked in restaurants since we were kids. Between the three of us we know hundreds of people in the industry that have been struggling to adapt to this constantly shifting and hostile pandemic. This NYE update, happening at as close to the last minute as possible before I’m actually speaking literally seems particularly egregious. I’m sure both our phones have been blowing up with friends in the industry loosing their shit over this. What’s your initial reaction?

Jamie - Oh man, I seriously took a nap this afternoon at 3:00pm to only wake up to my friends Ron and Josh blowing up my phone over today’s developments. It’s insane what they’ve done here, but not surprising however. I’ve expected such a measure, it’s just annoying and sad they’d do one with such little notice for restaurants. I have so many friends in the industry who worry not only about their bottom lines but also their staff, many of whom need big nights like NYE to get them across the line to paying rent for January. This is tough man, I really feel for this industry and we both work in it. I’m lucky in a sense because I work at the Fairmont and it is normally busy but so many are not. Seriously, this just sucks all around.

Tristan - I agree, the amount of unnecessary stress, and logistical nightmares for restaurants this will cause frustrates me. I think it should be expressed clearly and firmly that restaurants and bars should absolutely close earlier on NYE. The 10pm closures in the fall were difficult to stomach but they were necessary, as is this. However, what stings so much about this is that it was painfully obvious that NYE was always going to be problematic. Ever since BC numbers started climbing in November it was crystal clear that this should, and could, have been announced 3 weeks ago. Waiting till this late in the game is just cruel to every restaurant that put so much effort into meticulously mapping out their night. What the hell was the provincial government waiting for?

Jamie - Oh they were waiting for a lot. You think government officials care about how the restaurant community feels right now? Especially when we find that an Ontario finance minister flees the country during this whole saga. Ugh…rich people don’t give a shit about regular folks. These restrictions make sense, let’s limit contact, I get it. However, the timing is the worst. So many restaurants bought supplies, food for tomorrow, those two hours make a big difference.

Tristan - That right there is a point that may be lost on people that don’t work in restaurants- and I’m positive it is on the part of the BC Health Authority- that a ton of hard work and specific resources go into planning NYE dinners. Special set menus, wine parings, additional resources that are costed out based on expected revenue; which means expected resos. By gutting a good solid third of resos (yes people will cancel resos if they can’t drink, don’t be surprised by this) tens of thousands of dollars of product could potentially go to waste. NYE is crucial for the December bottom line in restaurants to make up for lost revenue due to being closed for a day or two around Christmas. This could kill their month, financially speaking. 

Jamie - Tristan there’s no simple way around things here. It’s sucks. The decision made by government sucks and is so cruel in its timing it’s nuts. I just feel for an already stretched restaurant industry, I wish the government gave back more aid, deductions, whatever, something. Restaurants are the lifeblood of cities, treat them as such. This is no way to respect them. But whatever, let’s move on, what are your thoughts on 2021, how should restaurants proceed?

Tristan - How can restaurant operators be expected to formulate and stick to a coherent plan, short or long term, when faced with such incoherence on a provincial level? It leaves me growing more frustrated with Bonnie Henry’s leadership. Earlier in the pandemic she was the international darling of clear minded logic and stoicism when dealing with Covid, but her decisions have become increasingly half measured and ill planned. I’m worried this will exacerbate her declining public perception. I realize that the least of Henry’s concerns is navigating some kind of popularity contest, but trust in the government is certainly adjacent to such assessments and it’s going to waver if more of this continues. 

Jamie - So I think we both need to recognize the awkward position she’s faced when making these decisions. This sucks on all levels. You think she wants to ruin New Years? I know she does not.
For us in the public this has been a brutal affair, reacting as we go. Restaurants have suffered immensely, this just adds to the pain. I’ve spoken with her, and I know she doesn’t want this in any way. But what is she supposed to do? We want to avoid a lockdown? Is this our only measure? If 8pm is all we get, I’m for it. Better than nothing.

Tristan - I’m sure there are plenty of good faith arguments out there asking what is more important, our best shot at mitigating the virus and maintaining public health, or people having fun on NYE, to which I would counter that is not the issue here. If they effectively want to cancel NYE, fine go right ahead, it is for the best I agree. I really don’t care if people can’t go out tonight and neither should she; so say that a month ago. We can demand both a primary and uncompromising interest in public heath as well as just some common sense planning. I absolutely expect such perspective from our officials and they failed big time. 

Jamie - You are 100% correct there. This decision failed the community. I just keep coming back to that employee, that server who might have needed a big night tonight to pay rent tomorrow. Ugh the stress of all of this is just brutal. And sadly, restaurants will carry on, like they always do and the public will expect them to be perfect all the time as we always have. It’s hard to have a unified voice when there are thousands of restaurants in this province, but I sometimes wish the community heard and knew their plight, what type of gut punch decisions like yesterday do. I hope people come out and support them today and next month. If you’re going to buy wine, buy it at Dachi or The American. Give them your money instead of your local BC Liquor Store. Help that local spot you love so much, because trust me, they need it.