MONTREAL, January 12, 2021 - While it is true that the current COVID-19 crisis affects all sectors of the Montreal economy, it is obvious that the restaurant sector is currently one of the most affected.
The curfew that is added to the confinement as part of government measures does not make life easier for Montreal restaurateurs. Being forced to use the various delivery platforms, they are charged costs that reach up to 30% of the price of the bill.
Their financial peril is more than real, as they see their profit margin visibly melt. “We need to give restaurant owners an extra helping hand, which is why we are asking the City of Montreal to put pressure on the Quebec government to impose a 15% cap on the fees charged by delivery platforms. type UberEats, DoorDash or Skip until the end of the pandemic ”, declared Mr. Lionel Perez, Leader of the Official Opposition and instigator of the motion.
Many restaurateurs who did not offer delivery at the start of the crisis had to deal with one of the major players in the delivery industry in order to generate income quickly and avoid bankruptcy. However, this type of service costs them a small fortune.
“It's completely unfair; restaurateurs are being held hostage: we have no choice but to pay to survive the crisis, ”said Fabio Broccoli, manager of the Fishbone and Elefanté restaurants in Old Montreal.
If we estimate at 10,000 the number of restaurants that have closed permanently in 2020 in Canada, we also estimate at 75,000 the number of jobs currently on the ice in the restaurant and hotel sector in the metropolis; tens of thousands of Montrealers are therefore waiting for the recovery to get their jobs back.
“In the exceptional context of the pandemic and now the curfew where free market rules are not applicable, limiting the costs imposed on restaurateurs means acting directly and promptly with a pragmatic solution. We must help them keep their heads above water, if we want to find the Montreal we love after the pandemic, ”added Mr. Perez.
Very aware of the various proposals that have circulated in recent months across Canada, the Official Opposition is directly inspired by the Ontario government, which recently adopted similar measures following the request of the city council of the city of Toronto.
"We also ask that it be prohibited for delivery services to compensate for the loss of income caused by our measure, by reducing the wages of their delivery men or by increasing other administrative costs", declared Mr. Aref Salem. , Official Opposition spokesperson for economic development.
Ensemble Montréal, which has maintained permanent contact with the restaurant industry since the start of the crisis, sees a consensus emerging around its motion, particularly following the exit last week of the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ ), while the organization urged the provincial government to limit delivery costs.
“If assistance measures similar to the one we are proposing have already been put in place in Ontario, New York, San Francisco, Chicago or Los Angeles, why not in Montreal? », Concluded Mr. Perez.
The motion will be debated at the next municipal council on January 25, 2021.
