The province’s restaurant sector is working on plans to re-open while adhering to social-distancing rules amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Ian Tostenson of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association says members are exploring various ideas, which could include smaller menus to limit kitchen staff and utilizing outdoor space.
“Maybe a simplified menu, because it’s harder to make money with less people,” Tostenson said.
“Perhaps you can have more people in a safe manner in a bigger restaurant, and scale that appropriately when you get into smaller restaurants.”
B.C. provincial health officer Bonnie Henry has said restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus won’t be lifted until the middle of May at the earliest.
“I think there’s lots of innovative ways that we can have in-restaurant dining that protects both the staff as well as people who are coming in, and I’m looking to industry to come up with those ideas of how this could work,” Henry said Tuesday.
Tostensen says limited dine-in service paired with take-out could help some restaurateurs stay afloat.
“If you have enough factors here, as one restaurant owner said today, ‘I could probably break even under that scenario.'”
— With files from Jon Azpiri and Richard Zussman
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