A table or two might have just opened up in Greater Victoria, now that maximum capacity of restaurants will be based on available space.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said operators should determine the maximum number of patrons allowed by looking at how many can be accommodated while maintaining a physical distance of two metres between groups. That will trump a previous order limiting patrons to 50 per cent of capacity.
Henry also ordered operators to identify “choke points” where patrons congregate or stand in line, and find ways to maintain distance using markers or physical items.
Henry said Thursday health officials have been working for several weeks to understand issues faced by restaurants and bars.
For some restaurants, the policy change is great news and a major step forward, while others say they are unlikely to see much of impact.
“It’s physical-distancing that’s reducing seats, not capacity,” said Shellie Gudgeon, owner of Il Terrazzo restaurant, which has trimmed its capacity in half to about 80 seats.
Gudgeon, an industry veteran, said the changes are likely to only affect operators with large patios and massive floor plans. “We have one of the bigger rooms in the city, but we will not add a seat because of physical-distancing,” she said. “This just won’t have any impact on us.”
At Belleville’s Watering Hole and Diner on Belleville Street, which has two large patios and large inside spaces, owner Rob Chyzowski is ecstatic about the changes.
“It’s fantastic — I can definitely add seats because of the space on the patio, which is great news,” he said. That could mean as many as 20 more seats outside. “I will be measuring tomorrow. We will do this with social-distancing in mind.”
Mike Murphy, owner of 10 Acres Bistro and Commons, said he was delighted with the news, both as an operator and for the fact it sends a signal that B.C. is handling the pandemic well.
“[Henry] is obviously quite confident things are going the right way, because she’s [about] nothing if not the abundance of caution. This is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Murphy said he will start looking at where he might be able to add chairs and tables, but there isn’t a lot of demand for it yet.
“I don’t think it will make any difference other than on Friday and Saturday nights. There are just not that many people out yet.”
That’s the result of lingering public fear, he said. “It’s difficult to put the genie back in the bottle.”
Gudgeon said she thought a recent restaurant association survey was an accurate depiction of the problem — a third of people are already out and about, another third are waiting to hear that it’s safe from the first third, and the final third is unlikely to come out for another year.
For the time being, she said, her restaurant is doing OK, and has even reached its reduced capacity some nights, but that doesn’t mean it’s making a profit.
“We are really relying on our locals,” she said.
On Thursday, Henry also announced new regulations to allow self-service and buffet stations to reopen.
Operators must provide hand-washing facilities or alcohol-based sanitizers within easy reach of the station, and post signs reminding patrons to wash or sanitize their hands before touching self-service food or other items, and to maintain a two-metre distance from one another. Operators will also have to frequently clean and sanitize high-touch surfaces at the station and utensils that are used for self-service.
