British Columbia is now accepting applications for the B.C. circuit-breaker relief grant for foodservice and hospitality businesses hurt by the recent COVID-19 restrictions. Eligible businesses include restaurants, pubs, bars, coffee shops, cafes, cafeterias, lounges, nightclubs, breweries, wineries, and tasting rooms. The grant is repurposing $50 million from the province’s $345 million Business Recovery Grant to […]
Various Ontario hotel associations have collaborated to send a letter to provincial Public Health Units and government leaders urgently requesting that employees of hotels be given priority COVID-19 vaccination access along with restaurant employees who work at the same property. The Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, and Motel Association notes that “by nature of the business,” hotel […]
Ontario is shutting down all indoor and outdoor dining for a minimum of 28 days in response to rising COVID-19 cases. The province’s self-styled “emergency brake” response includes prohibiting all Ontario dining indoors and on patios, just weeks after many establishments had been allowed to re-open for dining and open patios. Takeout, delivery, and drive-thru […]
B.C. indoor dining has been temporarily banned by the British Columbia government as part of new COVID-19 restrictions designed to curb an alarming surge in cases. The ban on indoor dining at provincial restaurants, bars, and other foodservice establishments is expected to remain in place for the next three weeks, until April 19. Patio dining […]
RestoBiz spoke to numerous foodservice operators about the bold steps they have taken to keep moving forward throughout COVID-19. By Tom Nightingale Faced with mounting pressure, closures, razor-thin margins, and a range of health and business concerns, foodservice operators have had to tread where they have never stepped before during the COVID-19 pandemic. Battening down […]
Amid widespread debate on the issue during the pandemic, caps on third-party delivery fees are being implemented in an increasing number of Canadian provinces in response to COVID-19. Saskatchewan is the latest province to make the move, capping delivery fees charged to restaurants by third-party apps until the end of April under The Emergency Planning Act. […]
On March 24, 2021, the 2021 provincial Ontario Budget was released, and it includes a number of measures pertinent to Ontario’s foodservice and hospitality industries. Notably, the Ontario budget announced the extension of an existing support grant for small businesses, as well as a new financial support specifically for tourism and hospitality. Ontario Small Business […]
In a time when ghost kitchens and meal kits are in vogue, Toronto’s Lavish focuses on unique quality. By Tom Nightingale For much of the last 12 months, eating at home has been the new dining out. The stark reality is that the physical dining experience as we knew it pre-COVID-19 may not be back […]
Ontario restaurant workers will be added to the list of essential workers who can get priority access to COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 2 of the province’s vaccination rollout. On March 5, officials had released a detailed list of people who would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2. In that list, foodservice staff […]
The deadline for applications for the new Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is being extended from March 31 to June 30, 2021. The federal government is now allowing eligible businesses to apply for the interest-free loan until the end of June. The program had previously been set to expire on March 31. “The extension will […]
