Restaurants across the city closing indoor dining for New Year’s Eve and beyond as Omicron cases rise

Making plans to hit a restaurant or bar to kick 2021 to the curb?

Despite being permitted to operate at 50 per cent capacity, your favourite spot might not be welcoming guests this holiday season — for your safety and for theirs.

Independent restaurants and bars across Toronto are increasingly deciding to close their doors or offer takeout only ahead of New Year’s Eve, as COVID-19 cases skyrocket to record numbers.

Restaurant owners say closing indoor dining is the right thing to do despite heading into what is traditionally a lucrative time for their industry.

“It was for the safety of our staff, ourselves, our customers,” said Harsh Chawla, who together with business partner Derek Valleau decided to close indoor dining at their St. Clair Ave. restaurant, Pukka, on Dec. 20 until the new year.

“And we have a decent takeout business, so we wanted to protect that.”

Staying open to indoor diners wasn’t worth the money, either.

With so few customers, “it costs more to sometimes open the business rather than to be shutting down,” Chawla said.

Chawla and Valleau began noticing in-person business declining in early December, as Omicron made inroads in Canada. The trend only accelerated after indoor restrictions were reintroduced on Dec. 19, to 50 per cent from full capacity, said Chawla.

James Rilett of Restaurants Canada said many restaurateurs are making the same decision, for a number of reasons: safety, staffing troubles, economic considerations and the mental health strain.

This will be the second consecutive holiday season during which restaurants won’t get the financial boost they usually rely on to get through the slower winter months, said Rilett.

He said restaurants might have been able to save the crucial holiday season by planning ahead instead of having to turn on a dime, but that a lack of government guidance made that near impossible.

Many restaurant and bar owners say everything changed for them in a matter of a few weeks.

At Laura Carr’s Chez Nous Wine Bar on Queen St. East, the first week of December started off strong. Bookings for the holidays were rolling in, said Carr.

But after just a week, she noticed indoor traffic declining, cancellations increasing, and was starting to hear about outbreaks at other restaurants.

She lowered her bar’s capacity before the government enforced new limits, but still didn’t feel safe.

“The longer I stay open, the more at risk we are,” she said. “I’m vulnerable by the nature of my work.”

To make matters worse, some of those who continued coming to dine in didn’t seem to be taking COVID-19 seriously, said Carr, and were even abusive toward her and her staff.

She struggled with the decision, but eventually decided to shut her doors and go back to being a bottle shop. Carr hopes it will be just a couple of weeks, but is mentally preparing herself for longer.

It’s not restaurateur Jen Agg’s first time having to close indoor dining, but this time in particular has been really difficult, she said.

After feeling like her restaurants were back in the swing of things, “this sort of came out of nowhere,” said Agg, who shut most of her restaurants — including the popular Bar Vendetta — to indoor diners on Dec. 18.

“There was just a feeling of unease and fear going through the staff about working a week before they were about to see family,” she said.

Though she initially planned to reopen for New Year’s Eve, that’s off the table now, too. Agg said she feels “hobbled” by a lack of data and information that could help her to make the safest decision.

“I don’t think we should have to make that choice,” she said.

Businesses have access to increased subsidies, Agg noted, but she’s more worried about her staff — if she lays them off, the funds they’ll get from Employment Insurance or the federal COVID-19 benefit won’t be nearly enough to live in Toronto.

At Filipino restaurant Lamesa on St. Clair Ave. West, owner Lester Sabilano was also watching case numbers rise dramatically in early December. On Dec. 21, he decided to pivot to takeout until further notice to help keep his community safe.

“I just feel like small businesses are sort of being forced into making this decision on our own,” he said.

“I don’t feel supported as a small-business owner.”

Some business owners decided to completely close for the holidays, like College St.’s Free Times Cafe.

Owner Judy Perly said after a successful takeout Christmas dinner, she and her staff were not only tired, but worried about Omicron’s rapid spread. Indoor dining was already slow, so she decided to close the restaurant until January, when she plans to “regroup.”

She thinks the province moved restaurants back to 100 per cent capacity too quickly, and that it scared many patrons away.

“It was just like a losing battle,” said Perly, who predicts another spike in cases caused by New Year’s Eve parties.

Chawla said restaurant owners had been excited going into the holidays, and it was crushing to see things change so quickly.

He hopes this is the last time he’s forced to make this decision.

“It does feel like a déjà vu,” he said.

He feels lucky his restaurant has a robust takeout and delivery side. But he’s frustrated that business owners like himself have had to take matters into their own hands.

“Everybody’s making their own decisions,” he said.

“We need a clear directive.”

Rosa Saba is a Toronto-based business reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rosajsaba