Whether it is due to the closure of their dining room, the telework imposed by employers or the absence of tourists, restaurant owners are being hit hard by the current crisis.
The consequences are already well known.
Permanent closures have already been announced and help is being requested by all restaurant associations.
But how did they arrive at these results?
We must first mention the teleworking which took an unexpected scale from the middle of March. According to a study by Dalhousie University, the restaurant industry will lose significantly, nearly $ 20 billion, by the end of 2021, due to the impact of telecommuting.
Of course, restaurants located in downtown areas will be the most affected, especially as a quarter of survey respondents say they plan to work from home even more often over the next twelve months.
Second, while the closure of the border with the United States gave restaurateurs a lot of hope in popular tourist spots, the results were disappointing. The ridership has never been up to par, including in Old Quebec.
Certainly, the absence of foreign tourists was expected, but traders hoped that Quebecers rediscover this section of the national capital.
Then the announcement of the red zone comes like a second stab. Restaurants must once again close their dining rooms, driving away all tourist activity.
Finally, if you think it is more obvious to restaurateurs in the orange zone, think again! In Sherbrooke, for example, although dining rooms can accommodate visitors, they are rather rare. Among other things, groups from outside the Eastern Townships canceled their reservations.
So that's what puts the finances of restaurateurs in a sorry state. How could it be otherwise?