New Brunswick restaurateurs are anxiously awaiting the provincial government’s new rules and regulations for dining rooms and patios when it begins lifting its COVID-19 restrictions.
“This pandemic is likely going to set us back a couple years,” said Mike Babineau the owner of RustiCo, Cora’s and Cannon’s Cross Pub in Fredericton.
Located two blocks from the Saint John River, RustiCo has one of the largest and busiest patios in Fredericton.
Babineau said COVID-19 restrictions, however, will have a severe impact on the growth of his business.
“We can probably still get about 50 per cent occupancy on our patio. In the restaurant it’s likely going to drop to about 40 per cent,” said Babineau.
Up the road at Claudine’s Eatery, the layout of the once-cozy bistro is now a cause for concern.
“Our dining room is going to be one-third if not one-fourth of our max capacity,” said Leonie Gillingham, co-owner of Claudine’s Eatery.
With fewer tables available, the need for wait staff will also decline.
During the summer of 2019, Babineau had over 50 employees on his payroll but that will likely change.
“We’re basically not going to be hiring anybody for the summer, in any of my restaurants. We are probably going to be down one-third of our workforce for sure,” said Babineau.
During the summer months, the built-out patios on King Street are a staple for locals and tourists.
The cost to construct those patios are around $1,000 and physical distancing rules mean they will likely not appear this year.
“If it’s the two-metre rule, then I can only have two tables out there,” said Babineau.
“That’s not financially feasible.”
To assist restaurants that could face financial peril, the city and Downtown Fredericton Inc. are teaming up to provide outdoor locations with patio tables. The city has also waived the fees for sidewalk patios and permits.
“We have 12,000 people who work downtown every day and those people will need somewhere to go and somewhere to eat,” said Bruce McCormack, executive director of Downtown Fredericton Inc.
McCormack says they are working with the city to aid restaurant owners by creating outdoor patio space.
Potential locations for the outdoor seating area include the front of Fredericton City Hall and Barracks Square on Carlton Street.
“There will be picnic tables that will be well wrapped, they’ll have staff to clean them after you leave,” said McCormack.
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Until that plan comes to fruition, the close-knit business community in Fredericton is working as a team to get through the quarantine.
“We’re going to try and help out the best we can to share costs, share supplies, share food, share whatever we can,” said Babineau.
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