Expanded patios and outdoor seating played a key role in starting the food and beverage industry back up in Nova Scotia amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Trying to find outdoor seating as much as I possibly can. Number one, for my own benefit because I have a 93-year-old mom and I’m very careful,” Bernadette Sullivan said, a Haligonian and industry supporter.
The Oxford Taproom in Halifax has utilized much of its outdoor space to accommodate expanded seating during the pandemic.
Alexa MacLean/Global News
While some people like Sullivan feel far more comfortable eating and drinking outside, those options are soon going to be far more limited as the colder weather continues to creep in.
It’s an inevitable part of Canadian living that operators in both Halifax and Dartmouth have prepared for.
“We stopped using the patio a few weeks ago. We’re considering actually turning on the heaters so people have a place to wait when there’s a waiting list, just to get people out of the weather,” Doug Townsend said, one of the co-owners of The Canteen in Dartmouth.
The team at The Canteen in Dartmouth has been steadily working on adapting their indoor space to safely accommodate customers during the colder months.
Alexa MacLean/Global News
Townsend and his team have been steadily adapting the indoor dining area at their restaurant to ensure distancing measures can be met with limited capacity seating.
Overall, he’s optimistic people will continue to support the food and beverage industry throughout the winter months. Especially since following public health guidelines, like mask-wearing and frequent handwashing, are now the norm.
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“The majority of operators in this industry have really worked hard to make their spaces safe for guests to return,” Townsend said.
Sullivan says the recent potential COVID-19 exposure at the Bitter End Martini Bar & Restaurant in downtown Halifax is an example of why she’ll soon feel more comfortable supporting the industry through takeout, as outdoor seating decreases.
“Ordering from online and taking it with me, and taking it back home — I’m probably going to be doing more of that,” she said.
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