The government of Ontario announced a new shutdown of indoor dining yesterday, leaving local restaurants and bars in Thorold with feelings of disappointment, anger, and frustration.
Says Martin Polhill, who owns The Overtime Pub on Richmond Street, “We have complied with everything they have wanted us to do. We even mandated our staff to get vaccinated just to keep everyone safe and do the right thing, and the government still turns around and screws us over.“
Korina Bielich, who owns Bridge 12 Pub & Eatery in Port Robinson together with husband Jovan Bielich, concurs, “It’s absolutely unfair. How are we supposed to do this? We’ve done everything we were asked to do and now we’re shut down again. It just doesn’t make any sense. ”
Under the new restrictions, which will take effect on Wednesday, January 5, restaurants will have to shift to a takeout and delivery model, although outdoor patio dining will still be allowed.
“We have a patio with heaters but who is going to sit on a patio when it’s minus 12 degrees? Nobody is going to go out there,” says Bielich.
One of the main issues both businesses highlight is the lack of communication from the government.
Says Bielich, “It’s hard to anticipate anything. They didn’t give us enough time so everyone put their orders in for their food, their alcohol and now we’re stuck again with all extra supply and not enough customers coming in.”
Polhill agrees, “We have all our beer orders in so I got $7,000 of beer coming in the door. I’ve got all this food I’m not going to be able to sell with takeout only and who is paying for all that? I have to. We sell a lot of draft here so we got 12 draft taps. As soon as I tap one of those kegs, whether there’s one pint out of it or 22 pints out of it, I own that keg. I’m not getting my money back from it. I’m not going to sell all these kegs in a day and half that they gave me to close up.”
The pandemic has been really tough on both local businesses.
Says Polhill, “We’ve been on the verge of losing everything multiple times. We’re in a lot of debt trying to keep everything going. We treat everyone here like a big family, so we’re trying to keep (the staff) so they don’t lose stuff, it’s been a hard go.”
Bielich points out the lack of financial assistance from the government, saying, “This time we’re on our own. What they gave us obviously wasn’t enough. If you own a business it couldn’t get us through the (other) two times we were shut down and now a third time we get nothing and have to shut down once again. I don’t know how we’re going to survive.”
For right now, all the businesses can do is hope that they’ll be allowed to open up again soon.
Says Polhill, “I’m hoping it’s just those three weeks that they told us, but with them I really doubt it because they don’t know what the hell they are doing.”
