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Fairer rules needed for red zone restaurants

Halton politicians call on province to scrap 10-person cap
Monaghan's

The Toronto Raptors could play inside Monaghan’s Sports Pub and Grill.

With 6,000 square feet of space, the restaurant could hold a full-size NBA court and still have 1,300 square feet to spare.

Normally licensed to serve more than 350 people, Monaghan’s is currently limited to 10 diners under Ontario red zone pandemic rules.

It’s a cap that owner Claudio Serrao thinks is unfair and unreasonable.

Halton’s politicians agree, and this week they called on the provincial government to change the rules and “allow restaurant capacity to be based on percentage of square footage and the ability of a restaurant to safely serve patrons.”

A capacity-based limit is needed to help struggling restaurants survive the pandemic, said Mayor Rob Burton, who introduced the motion at Halton council.

“Other jurisdictions have applied capacity-based limits on restaurants that take into account percentage of square footage and the ability of a restaurant to safely serve its patrons, which is similar to what Ontario has already applied for grocery stores, retail and non-essential businesses,” he said.

Even if only allowed 10 per cent of capacity, Monaghan’s could serve 35 diners. Serrao says that “more justifiable” limit could be safely accommodated.

It would also be fairer across the industry, he says, pointing to the inequity of allowing a nearby restaurant of 900 square feet to also serve 10 people.

“Why do we have to suffer the impact because of our square footage when no one else has to suffer that impact?”

Serrao has laid off 35 of his 40 employees. He says the 10-person cap means he only needs one server and fewer people in the kitchen.

While in favour of keeping the minimum at 10 diners to protect the livelihoods of smaller restaurants, he says businesses like his should be allowed to use large floor spaces to safely serve customers.

Earlier this year he installed partitions between tables at his restaurant across from Sheridan College, further separating diners among the restaurant’s three levels.

The modifications are among the $750 million that Restaurants Canada says have been invested across the country, as restaurants pay for training, sanitizer stations, protective equipment and other measures to keep staff and customers safe.

The industry has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

According to the latest survey from Restaurants Canada, eight out of 10 restaurants are either losing money or barely scraping by.

The long-term impact of that statistic concerns Oakville councillor Dave Gittings, who seconded the regional motion.

“Our restaurants and foodservice providers have simply been devastated,” he said. “While curbside pick-up and food delivery services have provided some minimal relief, we are currently at a point where doors are going to be closing, jobs lost and an important draw to our main streets and shopping areas are at risk.”

The Halton motion asks Ontario’s government to review the rules in British Columbia, which base restaurant capacities on physical distancing capability.

It also notes that red zone rules allow non-essential retail stores to operate at a 50 per cent capacity limit.

A emailed comment from Ontario's Ministry of Health said, "Limiting the capacity of restaurants is important for reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and supporting case and contract tracing if a positive case of COVID-19 is identified.

It added that the government is consulting with health experts and will "continuously assess the impact of public health measures."