Advertisement

Montreal restaurant plans to reopen in defiance of COVID-19 restrictions

Click to play video: 'Montreal restaurant owner plans to defy rules and welcome customers'
Montreal restaurant owner plans to defy rules and welcome customers
WATCH: The owner of an Italian restaurant plans to defy Quebec's COVID-19 restrictions and re-open at the end of the month. Kesté pizzeria will welcome clients on Jan. 30. But as Tim Sargeant reports, this move violates current restrictions which prohibit indoor dining. – Jan 14, 2022

The manager of Kesté Pizzeria has had enough of the COVID-19 lockdown.

He plans to reopen his restaurant to full service for clients on Jan. 30, despite the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions that prohibit restaurants from reopening.

“Sometimes you can’t follow every single rule,” Luigi Esposito, manager of Kesté Pizzeria, told Global News.

His restaurant, like many others in Quebec, has been closed for most of the last 22 months due to strict sanitation measures imposed by the government to try and contain the spread of COVID-19.

But Esposito’s patience is running out.

“We’ve been patient and it hasn’t worked out. It’s time to change that,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

The Kesté Facebook page has been lighting up with reaction, with many people commenting in favour of the planned Jan. 30 reopening.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

However, Health Minister Christian Dubé on Thursday warned the restaurant owner and business owners to refrain from opening before they’re legally permitted.

“I would just ask this restaurant owner and all other merchants to be patient. I know it’s difficult,” Dubé said.

Esposito says he will have plexiglass in place separating tables, but he plans to open at full capacity and will not require proof of vaccinations.

“If we do lose our liquor permit, if we do get hit with heavy fines obviously, it’s not something we want, it’s not something we’re looking forward to, but if it happens, it happens,” Esposito said.

A spokesperson for the Quebec Restaurant Association argues Esposito and clients eating there expose themselves to liabilities.

“Customers themselves will be subject to fines and maybe an order to close down the shop,” Martin Vézina told Global News.

Vézina is calling on the government to allow restaurants to reopen by Jan. 31 but Esposito isn’t waiting that long, with plans to start serving customers on Jan. 30.

Click to play video: 'COVID-19: Quebec bars and restaurants push to reopen to fully vaccinated public'
COVID-19: Quebec bars and restaurants push to reopen to fully vaccinated public

Sponsored content

AdChoices