TORONTO — Restaurant customers, industry professionals and suppliers are calling on the federal government to extend the current levels of support for foodservice businesses that are still operating under COVID-19 restrictions.
According to survey data from Restaurants Canada, 45 per cent of all foodservice businesses have been consistently losing money for more than a year.
Restaurants will struggle to continue paying staff and suppliers if the rent and wage subsidies are cut back on July 4. To fight back, Canadians are sending postcards to members of Parliament and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“Even with most provinces moving forward with re-opening plans, restaurants across the country will still be operating at reduced capacity for the next few months,” says Todd Barclay, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “This is not the time to start reeling in the lifeline. Most restaurants have been losing money or barely scraping by nearly every day of the pandemic and will need at least a year to return to some semblance of normal. Half our industry will face risk of closure if government support is scaled back too soon.”
