Local restaurant owners say increasing numbers of customers are filling seats now that proof of vaccination is no longer required under a provincial public health order.
Jim Walmsley, owner of Jam Café on Herald Street, estimates business is up by 10 to 15 per cent since the vaccine passport was dropped on Friday.
“Now that that’s gone, things have definitely become a lot smoother and we’ve seen an uptick in business, especially this weekend,” Walmsley said Monday.
The increase in patrons may have been partly due to the Saturday arrival of the Koningsdam, the first cruise ship to pull into Ogden Point in more than two years, he said.
Walmsley predicts that business will continue to climb and the restaurant could experience a record-breaking summer.
“So far everybody has been pretty positive,” he said. “I’ve already started hiring about three or four new staff, which I’ve been very lucky to find in this market.”
Glo Restaurant and Lounge on Jutland Road is also seeing numbers climb. This past Saturday was “probably one of the busier days we’ve had in a long time,” said senior manager Karli Hall.
It’s clear that patrons are happy to see restrictions lifted, Hall said. “People are excited to be able to mingle again.”
Masks are optional for staff and Hall continues to wear one.
Ian Tostenson, chief executive of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said restaurants around the province saw similar upticks. “It’s been very busy.”
Like Walmsley, Tostenson said he’s heard that since the final restriction was lifted, business has climbed by 10 to 15 per cent on weekends. “We haven’t seen any resistance [to loosening restrictions] at all.”
Tostenson attributes that to B.C.’s high vaccination rate, which reduces patrons’ concerns.
When it comes to sales, “We are getting very close to pre-pandemic levels,” he said.
The return of cruise ships should help the hospitality business as well, he said. This year, 364 cruise ship visits with 780,000 passengers on board are expected in Victoria.
Despite more patrons showing up, the impact of the ongoing pandemic is expected to be felt for a couple more years, said Tostenson, noting many restaurants took on debt from the federal programs that were available, while some owners invested their life savings to survive.
Getting back on their feet financially will take time for many businesses, said Tostenson, who is calling on senior governments to move promptly to allow skilled foreign trades workers, such as cooks and chefs, into Canada to help alleviate the current labour shortage.
cjwilson@timescolonist
