'The last two weeks have been great': Saskatoon restaurants seeing surge since restrictions lifted
It’s been two weeks since restrictions have been lifted in the province and some Saskatoon restaurants are noticing a surge in business.
“The (lifting) of restrictions brought a few more people out,” said Ryan Grills, owner of The Yard and Flagon Pub, “We’re probably up 75to 85 per cent of what our sales would have been pre-pandemic.”
Due to staff shortages Grills has the restaurant operating at 75to 80 per cent capacity.
“I don’t have staff to be able to go to 100 per cent capacity and there is still some apprehension, at least from some of my customers that you know were still seeing mask wearing,” said Grills “I think I’ll gradually start increasing my capacity if I can increase my staff.”
Grills also operates The Rook and Raven Pub and he says hasn’t seen the same surge in business The Yard and Flagon Pub is experiencing since it’s located downtown.
“Downtown’s a little bit different, obviously a lot of offices are still fairly empty, the hotels are still not up to capacity,” said Grills “We’re still not seeing as many shows as we used to.”
Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill & Bar is another Saskatoon restaurant experiencing a surge in business.
“It doesn’t matter if its day or night, we’re seeing more bodies,” said co-owner of Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill and Bar, Gary Baba. “The last two weeks have been great, we’ve seen tables come from six to 10 people.”
The restaurantis operating at 100 per cent capacity and has seen an increase in numbers compared to pre-pandemic sales from July of 2019.
“More sports teams have come out already, lacrosse tournaments, slow-pitch tournaments, they’re spending late nights” said Baba.
However, both restaurants owners say they’re lacking staff.
“I mean the government is still paying a little bit of unemployment,” said Baba “It’s hard to find kitchen help at this time, front of house help.”
“Some people seem to be pretty content to take the summer off and maybe continue to get EI,” said Grills. “Whence that starts to look like it’s finished, I think we’ll hopefully have a little bit more luck getting people back to work.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.