Restaurant owners in North Bay are expressing mixed feelings about the region remaining in the red-control zone for at least another week.
John Lechlitner, owner of Cecil’s Brewhouse and a handful of other eateries, says he wasn’t surprised by Thursday’s announcement.
“We would rather stay open in some capacity than face another lockdown. Whatever we have to do, we’re willing to do it,” he said.
Down the street at Lou Dawg’s, owner Ryan Ivy says he doesn’t see the logic in holding the region back.
“We were able to operate in the green zone for the better part of last summer and fall without any outbreaks,” he said. “If we are not the incubators for it, why are we getting held back?”
Dr. Jim Chirico, medical officer of health announced Thursday that the region will likely remain in the province’s red-control zone for at least another week, citing a rise in variant cases in Ontario as a reason why.
In the red-control level of the framework, restaurants are allowed to open with a capacity limit of 10 people inside, with no more than four per table.
Ivy says the capacity limits have forced him to make some tough decisions.
“I’ve turned away over 1,000 people this past week,” he said. “Even at half capacity, I would have been able to facilitate those people.”
Ivy believes instead of following along with the province’s framework, more should be done on the local level.
“If we’re going to pick and choose and cherry-pick where we’re at in this framework, why can’t we come up with a local framework?” he questioned, adding he would turn away travellers from other districts if he was required to.
Lechlitner, on the other hand, remains optimistic that the right decisions are being made.
“I’m not going to dwell on the past, I’m not going to dwell on the lack of business. To me, that’s unproductive,” he said. “I trust that they will move us out when the suitable time is to move out.”
Both restauranteurs said the city’s allowance of patio expansion this summer, paired with warmer weather will likely help bring in more business.
