Provincial public health orders may have closed in-service meals at local restaurants because of the COVID-19 pandemic but a survey of establishments by Houston Today has found they’re adapting to the new reality.
While they report a reduction in opening hours and staff layoffs, take-out service, with enhanced sanitation and respecting physical distancing, is providing for a viable business model.
“It’s going good,” says Chau Ly from Lee’s Garden.
“We’re getting lots of support from the community here and we appreciate that.”
In normal times, the restaurant would have a staff of seven but with now being closed two days a week and with reduced opening hours on the days it is open, there are now three people working.
Customers can phone in orders and for pickup, there’s a limit on the number of customers going inside to collect their orders and are directed by arrows on the floor.
“We also have faceguards at the counter,” said Ly of enhanced interior safety measures. “Actually I think we’re going to keep the faceguards when it’s normal again.”
As for a popular takeout dish, Ly says ginger beef was a favourite before and remains so now.
The Idylwild Restaurant is also down to five days a week and with reduced hours on the days it is open with Sandy Tsang reporting an overall drop in business of 30 per cent.
“For the first few weeks [after public health orders were issued] it was pretty slow but now we’re doing good,” she said.
From five or six employees in normal times, Idylwild is now down to just three people and they also handle next door sales at the beer and wine store.
“With the beer and wine store, we’re going gung-ho, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” Tsang added.
She would like to have more takeout service hours but says it is difficult to find people to work.
The availability of various government COVID-19 financial support programs puts some employers at a disadvantage in attracting workers, Tsang noted.
As with other businesses, the restaurant and beer and wine store have limits on how many customers can be inside at any one time.
For takeout, Tsang provides pick up times so the number of customers arriving can be better managed.
“And we’ve increased sanitation, using bleach at both places,” Tsang continued.
Charu Gotem at the Indian Curry House says customers can wait in their vehicles and have take out delivered to them.
“We know our customers. It’s a small town,” she adds.
And food will also be delivered to the next door motel with employees knocking on the door of a unit and leaving the food outside.
“Right now it’s not that bad,” Gotem said of business traffic although she has cut the hours of full time employees down to part time.
“We do a lot of sanitation and we’re wearing gloves,” she said.
As for a favourite take out dish, it’s butter chicken.
At the Pleasant Valley, lasagna is at the top of the list of take out, says Aubrey Mitchell.
“But it’s always been a favourite,” she adds.
From a staff of 13 in normal times, the restaurant is now down to three people, including Mitchell.
“It’s going good, and we still have a full menu,” Mitchell said although there have been times when she’s had to travel out of town for supplies because of a shortfall in deliveries.
She’s also been creative in appealing to customers, citing a pie order that was filled one time and on a Friday, making up appetizer trays.
Exactly when provincial health officials may start to ease restrictions isn’t known yet with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry last week saying much depends upon maintaining physical distancing and avoiding group events to limit the spread of COVID-19.