Toronto bars, restaurants, stores 'ready to go'

Article content

It’s the day hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores have been eagerly awaiting.

Shane Ryan uses a power drill to make final adjustments to one of his patio picnic tables, as some of his 36 staff are in a mad scramble to get his tiny Beaches restaurant ready.

“Time to get to work!” the small business owner, who has survived the lockdowns because of takeout business and government assistance, said Thursday.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that it’s going to start up,” he said on his freshly built patio at Breakwall BBQ on Queen St. E.

As of one minute after midnight Friday, it’s a whole new world.

Among the rules for restaurants and bar patios is that they seat up to four people at a table, maintain six meters of physical distance between tables, and ensure way to contact trace customers just in case.

Toronto’s CafeTO program helped more than 800 businesses last summer. The city says that’s up to more than 1,000 this year.

It’s become an essential way to generate business by expanding outdoor seating onto the street. Especially since Ryan’s patio normally seats just 12 people.

“Knowing it was still available and coming back for this summer probably made the difference between staying open or not,” the young entrepreneur said.

At the sprawling Cabana Waterfront Patio in the Port Lands, a stream of people arrived Thursday afternoon to settle into new jobs serving the 600-seat patio.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Charles Khabouth, CEO of Ink Entertainment and owner of Cabana. “In my 38 year career in the hospitality business, we have never been shut down. We are just hoping it sticks this time.”

He’s definitely not alone.

The Retail Council of Canada says it has had enough.

“Ontario has endured the longest lockdown in the world,” the Council said in a statement. “Our members have absorbed unbearable financial, emotional stress, job losses and business closures.”

It’s imploring the government to adjust and to allow all retailers to partially open, including those inside malls.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

“There is no medical evidence to support the continued lockdown of businesses,” the Council said.

Ontario’s Stage 2 is still at least 21 days away, barring any setback with COVID -19 cases.

Back in the Beaches — where Ryan puts the finishing touches on his patio — he is just happy for this one small step of progress.

“We are super excited,” he said. “Everybody is ready to go.”

slaurie@postmedia.com