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General Richmond Notes. Restaurant Industry Problems. Yes Jeremy Nathan Dyck Stuff.
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GregCarr
Jan 24, 2024, 4:52:45 PM1/24/24
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The washrooms at the bowling green at Minoru Park have been closed for sometime despite signs saying they are open. Saw city workers working on the fields there this morning as I fed 4 squirrels for some reason no crows around.
I am at Minoru Library again a well lit and clean and warm place nice washrooms for the homeless and mentally ill and criminals to gather some ppl are actually using the computers and reading books and newspapers. Children talk of the flasher in the library. A Asian guy was taking photos of a Black man at the computers from behind then began to hop around several spots then walked around for several minutes. Did you know that walking in Whalley is a topic for conversation here? EYEROLL. Some young Asian guy with a small purse and a pink mouth mask just made the' " I clip pot plants" hand sign as he sat at the computer just vacated by the Black dude who was being spied on earlier plus he made a bunch of other hand signs. 1:20 PM. Get rid of the tampax free machines in the guys washrooms. The second floor washroom has been closed for 2 hours for cleaning must be a union worker :-) ).
More than half of B.C. restaurants in the red, industry warns
By Simon Little & Richard Zussman Global News
Posted January 23, 2024 5:57 pm
Updated January 23, 2024 6:21 pm
The B.C. hospitality industry says half of the province's bars and restaurants are not making a profit, and it's launching a new campaign calling on the government to cut red tape while doing more to help the sector. Richard Zussman reports.
British Columbia’s restaurant industry is pressing the province for help, warning that sector is stumbling under a perfect storm of challenges.
The B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association and Restaurants Canada say the sector employs more than 185,000 workers and generates $18 billion annually in sales.
But amid lingering debt from the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, labour shortages and government regulations, more than half of B.C. restaurants are unprofitable, according to the group.
More worrisome, the sector has seen bankruptcies climb by 48 per cent in the last 10 months and nearly one in five could close in the next 18 months due to pandemic-related debt, the organization warns.
“They are trying to stay alive, but they have all this regulation,” BCRFA president and CEO Ian Tostenson said.
“We’ve got to find solutions that are practical, that don’t cost a lot of money to the taxpayer and we get on with it.” (Greg: Why should tax payers (mechanics/authors/retirees/cooks/architects have to help out failing chain restaurants headquartered in America or England or small businesses? Even if half the restaurants fail in theory then that should double the business for the properly run ones.)
Kalen McNeil, president of Vancouver Island’s’ Big Wheel Burger, said restaurants have always faced tight margins, but now face numerous challenges stacked on top.
Click to play video: 'BIV: Restaurants brace for rocky start to 2024'
2:47
BIV: Restaurants brace for rocky start to 2024
Those include inflation, the need to pay back Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans, inflation and the effects of the housing crisis on staff retention. (Greg: Hey deadbeats pay back the loans or declare bankruptcy Steve Jobs who died rich declared bankruptcy early in his business career. A smart businessman knows when to walk away from a bad investment.) )
It’s kind of like five or six things coming at us at once,” he said.
“It is a delicate balance between getting real support without sounding like we are complaining, people will have to pay a bit more if they want their favourite restaurant to survive.” (Greg: Raise thy prices then while asking us to pay record amounts for tipping go ahead do it. Maybe you will succeed and thy business prosper maybe not.)
The restaurant industry is proposing a variety of measures it says could help businesses stay afloat.
Near the top of the list is the creation of a provincial Ministry of Hospitality to coordinate government regulations and supports.
Currently, the industry is overseen by the ministries of tourism, finance, attorney general, small business and labour.
Click to play video: 'B.C. restaurant industry warns of bleak outlook'
5:05
B.C. restaurant industry warns of bleak outlook
“Neither one of those ministries, no fault of their own, they don’t speak to each other,” Tostenson said.
“This is like having an orchestra without a conductor. So the opportunity here is a minister of hospitality for an 18 billion industry to help us coordinate this.”
The industry’s campaign is also taking aim at permitting backlogs, calling for harmonized liquor licensing, a streamlined process for patio approvals and for clearly-defined approval times for licences.
It also wants to see tax changes, including raising the threshold for the Employer Health Tax from a payroll of $500,000 to $750,000; rebates for energy, packaging, rent and municipal tax hikes; a freeze on WorkSafeBC premiums and provincially-led debt relief.(Greg: Yes you want to raise prices and get all sorts of money from the govt. How is that different than ppl asking for their welfare cheques to be tripled to escape poverty? Why should you get a energy rebate and not cab companies and Uber and Fantan drivers and trucking companies and airlines and private bus companies? You want rent relief how about the 32% of BCers that rent? Packaging relief I guess Amazon and mail order businesses want tax relief then. Businesses have complained about Worksafe and WCB fees since it was created I know ppl who developed carpal tunnel syndrome in their hands from working in restaurant kitchens unfortunately some restaurant employees get injured by violence on the job even killed. )
And it wants help with the staffing crunch, in the form of a provincial ‘jobs nod’ program that offsets the cost of hiring new staff along with the creation of a tourism and hospitality stream for foreign workers.(Greg: Yes folks the business shills want more immigrants coming here guess what the unemployment rate is 5.6% in BC 167,000 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/statistics/employment-labour-market/lfs_highlights.pdf why don't you employ them? The restaurant industry is already full of hardworking immigrants many restaurants are owned by immigrants.)
Click to play video: 'B.C. restaurant industry post-pandemic struggles continue'
2:10
B.C. restaurant industry post-pandemic struggles continue
“Our process to get a foreign worker in B.C. takes about eight to nine months — in Alberta it takes four months,” Tostenson said.
“We’re saying what’s the reason behind this? It’s just backlog.”
In a statement, B.C. Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey said the province understood the challenges the industry is facing, but wouldn’t commit to any of the changes the sector is proposing.(Greg: Why do we have a BC Jobs Minister and a Labour Minister Harry Baines? Seems redundant.)
“It’s clear the labour shortage and housing crisis continue to make it hard for restaurants to find the workers they need, and we will continue to get more homes built faster, and to work with industry to support hospitality workers,” she said. (Greg: Yet again the housing crisis is mentioned if we bring in foreign workers won't that make the housing crunch even worse give thy head a shake. In a 10 minute walk today in two separate spots I saw shopping carts being used by the homeless Richmond once never had a homeless problem.)
“Our government continues to have ongoing conversations with the sector and are aware of the various concerns and requests that are being brought forward and will continue those conversations.”
Bailey touted the province’s COVID-19 grants to businesses, along with other measures including caps on restaurant delivery fees and relaxed liquor policies as ways her government has tried to help the sector. (Greg: All true and they want more, more, more.)
McNeil, however, said more is needed.
“We’re not getting rich, we’re just looking to survive,” he said.
“It’s really sad to see restaurants go.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/10245133/bc-restaurant-sector-worries/
(Greg: I have seen the quality of the restaurant experience decline noticeably in the last 4 years in BC. Judging by the comments ppl tell me and the postings on social media so have others. On Alexandria Rd in two blocks 4 restaurants are out of business two others are open but never see anyone go in and out the front door just ppl going into the back of course they have no front windows you can see in or out of. Some restaurants are always 60% full or better others lucky to have 10 customers I pass by places that never have more than 2. Some restaurants you walk in and the staff are talking about their gang allegiances and such hey lots of ppl like eating at home and it is usu. cheaper than dining out I walked into The Pantry at Surrey Center Mall all sorts of gang talk Jeremy Nathan Dyck in his red H.A. gear outside the place it closed down 2 weeks later. Lots of ppl scared of a assclown with a criminal conviction for driving with a suspended license who whines about the RCMP picking on him a 43 yr old who dyes his grey hair excrement brown who hangs with the junkies and homeless on KGH in Whalley hey Jeremy what happened to thy S.U.V. with the 3 Haney support stickers I heard you got jacked? The guy keeps threatening to kill me for some reason. 25 years in Matsqui word on the street is it will be gang rape for him. His stepdaughter Natasha Lucien look up her FB she is a satanist with 2 children no talk of work says she has been raped many times and did Jeremy do anything other than stand alone in a dark parking lot at midnight? )
‘People could lose their livelihoods’: B.C. restaurants plead for support amid ongoing struggles
B.C. restaurants plead for support amid ongoing struggles
From labour and food cost increases to ongoing COVID fallout, business isn’t what it used to be for many restaurants in B.C. As Monika Gul reports, this has resulted in the launching of a new campaign, called “Save BC Restaurants." ( Greg: I wear a Buy B.C. button lots and have eaten at restaurants at least 5 days a week for 2 months.)
From labour and food cost increases to ongoing COVID fallout, business isn’t what it used to be for many restaurants in B.C. As Monika Gul reports, this has resulted in the launching of a new campaign, called “Save BC Restaurants."
By Charlie Carey and Liza Yuzda
Posted January 23, 2024 10:07 am. Last Updated January 24, 2024 5:59 am.
Restaurant groups in B.C. are sounding the alarm, launching a new campaign Tuesday aimed at “saving” the local hospitality industry.
Calling it a “struggling sector,” the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA) and Restaurants Canada say “Save BC Restaurants” will raise awareness of the challenges foodservice and hospitality businesses face.
“The last few years have been incredibly tough on restaurants in British Columbia,” said Ian Tostenson, CEO of the BCRFA in a statement. “Pandemic debt, skyrocketing inflation, labour shortages, cost pressures. Many of these businesses are holding on by the skin of their teeth.” (Greg: You see him on the news a lot.)
The campaign shares that 50 per cent of foodservice and hospitality businesses in B.C. are unprofitable, while restaurant bankruptcies have increased by over 48 per cent in the last 10 months.
Related:
Deadline to get partial CEBA forgiveness arrives, small businesses say more support needed
Feds should help small businesses that are facing CEBA deadline, says Vancouver business owner
Food industry groups object to proposed B.C. chicken price increase
Surrey small business owner asks federal government for CEBA loan leniency
“If we don’t act quickly, a lot of these places could close down. People could lose their livelihoods,” continued Tostenson. “The loss of a longtime restaurant can be devastating for the communities, families, and workers that have come to depend on them.”
The campaign launch comes on the heels of the Jan. 18 deadline for Canadian businesses to repay federal pandemic-related loans in order to receive partial forgiveness. (Greg: I posted that program was stupid at the time and it helped raise Canada's deficit to a record high Trudeau should have made sure the govt got a equity stake and now some businesses are defaulting on the loan.)
Hundreds of thousands of businesses and non-profits received a Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan of up to $60,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the groups, more than 15,000 restaurants operate in B.C., employing more than 185,000 workers.
Matthew Senecal-Junkeer, owner of The Birds & The Beets Food Group, says business just isn’t what it used to be for his restaurant in downtown Vancouver.
“What was a pretty decent, busy, and profitable business in 2019 is now sort of a break-even business,” he said.
“We’re sort of cutting back on investments, we’re reducing the menu, reducing hours, trying to squeeze profitability out from less but even then, it’s still been a challenge.” (Greg: Why not sell it and get on with thy life?)
Speaking to CityNews Tuesday morning, Tostenson claimed the hospitality sector is “more regulated” and has been “hit harder” by the COVID-19 pandemic than other industries across the country.
“All these blisters came to light, as to what the problems were,” he said. “We saw our partners at Restaurants Canada do research that said half the restaurants are losing money in British Columbia, and we asked ourselves, how do we fix this?”
Tostenson describes the industry’s regulations as “uncoordinated … like an orchestra with no conductor and everyone’s playing a different tune.”
“We’ve got an $18-billion industry that’s on life support. There’s a lot of things that government can do that doesn’t cost a lot of money, to get this industry back to where it should be,” he added.(Greg: It won't cost a lot of $ so why not give us the dollar figures then Mr. Tostenson shame on the media for not asking him that question in the print or TV media.)
The restaurant groups are calling on municipal and provincial governments to change policies and bylaws, regarding business approvals, “harmonizing liquor laws,” along with cost offsets and relief programs.
Tostenson says the “very obvious” one that can be addressed is the province’s employers health tax. He says the restaurant groups are calling on the province to change the threshold from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Changes to minimum wages are also on the table, he said. (Greg: The Global News article above this one says they only want the threshold increased to $750k so who is lying Mr. Tostenson or City News or Global News another MSM fail. This news junkie 58 years old has never seen such inaccurate media such lying by the media and the polls show support for the media is at an all time low https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2021-06/RTDNA_Trust_in_News-Tables_1-2021-06-03-v1_0.pdf 34% have no or little trust in the media.)
“Right off the bat, we need to have some common-sense discussion this year about minimum wage, because it’s always [tied] to inflation. Last year, it was 6.9 per cent increase in our wages. So, what’s the common-sense approach this year, because who knows what inflation will be — how do you calculate that?” (Greg: I support all the increases the NDP have made to the minimum wage in BC since they took power from the BC Liberal 16 years of majority rule glad they got rid of the training wage and that barmaids and tapmen get the same minimum wage as anyone else now. With the high cost of rent and groceries and inflation continuing you really want to bring up the minimum wage issue? )
Tostenson also cites liquor licencing fines as another area that governments could adjust to help businesses.
“There’s a program in British Columbia called the ‘Minors as Agents Program,’ [where] the government goes in, and they’re going, ‘Gotcha, you just served a minor,’ [and they’re handing out] a $7,500 fine on the spot, for, in most cases, an innocent mistake,” he explained. (Greg: As a former minor with a fake I.D. I know it is a battle just how many ppl have been busted and are any places repeat offenders? How hard is it to I.D. everyone under 30? The same general rules apply to tobacco sales.)
Tostenson says the groups also want to see the acceleration of permit approvals, such as patio approvals seen in regions across B.C. during the summer. “The bureaucracy complicates these things.”
“There’s certainly safety things on patios we have to be [aware of] but let’s just get on with it. They have to realize that the small business owner, any business owner, doesn’t have the time to be chasing websites and government regulations and trying to understand this stuff,” he said.
For Senecal-Junkeer, this sentiment rings true.
“We’re still, here in Vancouver, seeing a lot of really long delays on a lot of permitting, all those processes are really challenging, in particularly for small, really overworked independent restauranteurs.”
He says closure is not on the horizon, but he knows for many other business owners, it is.
“There’s a 9-alarm fire in our sector,” said Senecal-Junkeer.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver says it’s established a simplified process and faster approvals for some liquor licences and permits, adding it will review the recommendations made by the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
The restaurant groups also want governments to take a look at and accelerate the skilled foreign worker program to address labour shortages in the industry.
In response to the groups’ requests, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, says the province supported businesses during the pandemic through grants and continues to in other ways, including a program that gives businesses money for vandalism repairs and prevention, cap on food delivery fees, and wholesale liquor pricing.
Restaurants Canada Vice President Mark von Schellwitz describes restaurants as the “heart” of every community in B.C. (Greg: In a different era it was the churches or the community hall.)
“We’re confident that community leaders across the province will recognize the urgency of the situation at-hand.”
-With files from Monika Gul and Pippa Norman
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/01/23/bc-hospitality-restaurant-industry-struggling/
I am at Minoru Library again a well lit and clean and warm place nice washrooms for the homeless and mentally ill and criminals to gather some ppl are actually using the computers and reading books and newspapers. Children talk of the flasher in the library. A Asian guy was taking photos of a Black man at the computers from behind then began to hop around several spots then walked around for several minutes. Did you know that walking in Whalley is a topic for conversation here? EYEROLL. Some young Asian guy with a small purse and a pink mouth mask just made the' " I clip pot plants" hand sign as he sat at the computer just vacated by the Black dude who was being spied on earlier plus he made a bunch of other hand signs. 1:20 PM. Get rid of the tampax free machines in the guys washrooms. The second floor washroom has been closed for 2 hours for cleaning must be a union worker :-) ).
More than half of B.C. restaurants in the red, industry warns
By Simon Little & Richard Zussman Global News
Posted January 23, 2024 5:57 pm
Updated January 23, 2024 6:21 pm
The B.C. hospitality industry says half of the province's bars and restaurants are not making a profit, and it's launching a new campaign calling on the government to cut red tape while doing more to help the sector. Richard Zussman reports.
British Columbia’s restaurant industry is pressing the province for help, warning that sector is stumbling under a perfect storm of challenges.
The B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association and Restaurants Canada say the sector employs more than 185,000 workers and generates $18 billion annually in sales.
But amid lingering debt from the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, labour shortages and government regulations, more than half of B.C. restaurants are unprofitable, according to the group.
More worrisome, the sector has seen bankruptcies climb by 48 per cent in the last 10 months and nearly one in five could close in the next 18 months due to pandemic-related debt, the organization warns.
“They are trying to stay alive, but they have all this regulation,” BCRFA president and CEO Ian Tostenson said.
“We’ve got to find solutions that are practical, that don’t cost a lot of money to the taxpayer and we get on with it.” (Greg: Why should tax payers (mechanics/authors/retirees/cooks/architects have to help out failing chain restaurants headquartered in America or England or small businesses? Even if half the restaurants fail in theory then that should double the business for the properly run ones.)
Kalen McNeil, president of Vancouver Island’s’ Big Wheel Burger, said restaurants have always faced tight margins, but now face numerous challenges stacked on top.
Click to play video: 'BIV: Restaurants brace for rocky start to 2024'
2:47
BIV: Restaurants brace for rocky start to 2024
Those include inflation, the need to pay back Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans, inflation and the effects of the housing crisis on staff retention. (Greg: Hey deadbeats pay back the loans or declare bankruptcy Steve Jobs who died rich declared bankruptcy early in his business career. A smart businessman knows when to walk away from a bad investment.) )
It’s kind of like five or six things coming at us at once,” he said.
“It is a delicate balance between getting real support without sounding like we are complaining, people will have to pay a bit more if they want their favourite restaurant to survive.” (Greg: Raise thy prices then while asking us to pay record amounts for tipping go ahead do it. Maybe you will succeed and thy business prosper maybe not.)
The restaurant industry is proposing a variety of measures it says could help businesses stay afloat.
Near the top of the list is the creation of a provincial Ministry of Hospitality to coordinate government regulations and supports.
Currently, the industry is overseen by the ministries of tourism, finance, attorney general, small business and labour.
Click to play video: 'B.C. restaurant industry warns of bleak outlook'
5:05
B.C. restaurant industry warns of bleak outlook
“Neither one of those ministries, no fault of their own, they don’t speak to each other,” Tostenson said.
“This is like having an orchestra without a conductor. So the opportunity here is a minister of hospitality for an 18 billion industry to help us coordinate this.”
The industry’s campaign is also taking aim at permitting backlogs, calling for harmonized liquor licensing, a streamlined process for patio approvals and for clearly-defined approval times for licences.
It also wants to see tax changes, including raising the threshold for the Employer Health Tax from a payroll of $500,000 to $750,000; rebates for energy, packaging, rent and municipal tax hikes; a freeze on WorkSafeBC premiums and provincially-led debt relief.(Greg: Yes you want to raise prices and get all sorts of money from the govt. How is that different than ppl asking for their welfare cheques to be tripled to escape poverty? Why should you get a energy rebate and not cab companies and Uber and Fantan drivers and trucking companies and airlines and private bus companies? You want rent relief how about the 32% of BCers that rent? Packaging relief I guess Amazon and mail order businesses want tax relief then. Businesses have complained about Worksafe and WCB fees since it was created I know ppl who developed carpal tunnel syndrome in their hands from working in restaurant kitchens unfortunately some restaurant employees get injured by violence on the job even killed. )
And it wants help with the staffing crunch, in the form of a provincial ‘jobs nod’ program that offsets the cost of hiring new staff along with the creation of a tourism and hospitality stream for foreign workers.(Greg: Yes folks the business shills want more immigrants coming here guess what the unemployment rate is 5.6% in BC 167,000 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/statistics/employment-labour-market/lfs_highlights.pdf why don't you employ them? The restaurant industry is already full of hardworking immigrants many restaurants are owned by immigrants.)
Click to play video: 'B.C. restaurant industry post-pandemic struggles continue'
2:10
B.C. restaurant industry post-pandemic struggles continue
“Our process to get a foreign worker in B.C. takes about eight to nine months — in Alberta it takes four months,” Tostenson said.
“We’re saying what’s the reason behind this? It’s just backlog.”
In a statement, B.C. Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey said the province understood the challenges the industry is facing, but wouldn’t commit to any of the changes the sector is proposing.(Greg: Why do we have a BC Jobs Minister and a Labour Minister Harry Baines? Seems redundant.)
“It’s clear the labour shortage and housing crisis continue to make it hard for restaurants to find the workers they need, and we will continue to get more homes built faster, and to work with industry to support hospitality workers,” she said. (Greg: Yet again the housing crisis is mentioned if we bring in foreign workers won't that make the housing crunch even worse give thy head a shake. In a 10 minute walk today in two separate spots I saw shopping carts being used by the homeless Richmond once never had a homeless problem.)
“Our government continues to have ongoing conversations with the sector and are aware of the various concerns and requests that are being brought forward and will continue those conversations.”
Bailey touted the province’s COVID-19 grants to businesses, along with other measures including caps on restaurant delivery fees and relaxed liquor policies as ways her government has tried to help the sector. (Greg: All true and they want more, more, more.)
McNeil, however, said more is needed.
“We’re not getting rich, we’re just looking to survive,” he said.
“It’s really sad to see restaurants go.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/10245133/bc-restaurant-sector-worries/
(Greg: I have seen the quality of the restaurant experience decline noticeably in the last 4 years in BC. Judging by the comments ppl tell me and the postings on social media so have others. On Alexandria Rd in two blocks 4 restaurants are out of business two others are open but never see anyone go in and out the front door just ppl going into the back of course they have no front windows you can see in or out of. Some restaurants are always 60% full or better others lucky to have 10 customers I pass by places that never have more than 2. Some restaurants you walk in and the staff are talking about their gang allegiances and such hey lots of ppl like eating at home and it is usu. cheaper than dining out I walked into The Pantry at Surrey Center Mall all sorts of gang talk Jeremy Nathan Dyck in his red H.A. gear outside the place it closed down 2 weeks later. Lots of ppl scared of a assclown with a criminal conviction for driving with a suspended license who whines about the RCMP picking on him a 43 yr old who dyes his grey hair excrement brown who hangs with the junkies and homeless on KGH in Whalley hey Jeremy what happened to thy S.U.V. with the 3 Haney support stickers I heard you got jacked? The guy keeps threatening to kill me for some reason. 25 years in Matsqui word on the street is it will be gang rape for him. His stepdaughter Natasha Lucien look up her FB she is a satanist with 2 children no talk of work says she has been raped many times and did Jeremy do anything other than stand alone in a dark parking lot at midnight? )
‘People could lose their livelihoods’: B.C. restaurants plead for support amid ongoing struggles
B.C. restaurants plead for support amid ongoing struggles
From labour and food cost increases to ongoing COVID fallout, business isn’t what it used to be for many restaurants in B.C. As Monika Gul reports, this has resulted in the launching of a new campaign, called “Save BC Restaurants." ( Greg: I wear a Buy B.C. button lots and have eaten at restaurants at least 5 days a week for 2 months.)
From labour and food cost increases to ongoing COVID fallout, business isn’t what it used to be for many restaurants in B.C. As Monika Gul reports, this has resulted in the launching of a new campaign, called “Save BC Restaurants."
By Charlie Carey and Liza Yuzda
Posted January 23, 2024 10:07 am. Last Updated January 24, 2024 5:59 am.
Restaurant groups in B.C. are sounding the alarm, launching a new campaign Tuesday aimed at “saving” the local hospitality industry.
Calling it a “struggling sector,” the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA) and Restaurants Canada say “Save BC Restaurants” will raise awareness of the challenges foodservice and hospitality businesses face.
“The last few years have been incredibly tough on restaurants in British Columbia,” said Ian Tostenson, CEO of the BCRFA in a statement. “Pandemic debt, skyrocketing inflation, labour shortages, cost pressures. Many of these businesses are holding on by the skin of their teeth.” (Greg: You see him on the news a lot.)
The campaign shares that 50 per cent of foodservice and hospitality businesses in B.C. are unprofitable, while restaurant bankruptcies have increased by over 48 per cent in the last 10 months.
Related:
Deadline to get partial CEBA forgiveness arrives, small businesses say more support needed
Feds should help small businesses that are facing CEBA deadline, says Vancouver business owner
Food industry groups object to proposed B.C. chicken price increase
Surrey small business owner asks federal government for CEBA loan leniency
“If we don’t act quickly, a lot of these places could close down. People could lose their livelihoods,” continued Tostenson. “The loss of a longtime restaurant can be devastating for the communities, families, and workers that have come to depend on them.”
The campaign launch comes on the heels of the Jan. 18 deadline for Canadian businesses to repay federal pandemic-related loans in order to receive partial forgiveness. (Greg: I posted that program was stupid at the time and it helped raise Canada's deficit to a record high Trudeau should have made sure the govt got a equity stake and now some businesses are defaulting on the loan.)
Hundreds of thousands of businesses and non-profits received a Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan of up to $60,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the groups, more than 15,000 restaurants operate in B.C., employing more than 185,000 workers.
Matthew Senecal-Junkeer, owner of The Birds & The Beets Food Group, says business just isn’t what it used to be for his restaurant in downtown Vancouver.
“What was a pretty decent, busy, and profitable business in 2019 is now sort of a break-even business,” he said.
“We’re sort of cutting back on investments, we’re reducing the menu, reducing hours, trying to squeeze profitability out from less but even then, it’s still been a challenge.” (Greg: Why not sell it and get on with thy life?)
Speaking to CityNews Tuesday morning, Tostenson claimed the hospitality sector is “more regulated” and has been “hit harder” by the COVID-19 pandemic than other industries across the country.
“All these blisters came to light, as to what the problems were,” he said. “We saw our partners at Restaurants Canada do research that said half the restaurants are losing money in British Columbia, and we asked ourselves, how do we fix this?”
Tostenson describes the industry’s regulations as “uncoordinated … like an orchestra with no conductor and everyone’s playing a different tune.”
“We’ve got an $18-billion industry that’s on life support. There’s a lot of things that government can do that doesn’t cost a lot of money, to get this industry back to where it should be,” he added.(Greg: It won't cost a lot of $ so why not give us the dollar figures then Mr. Tostenson shame on the media for not asking him that question in the print or TV media.)
The restaurant groups are calling on municipal and provincial governments to change policies and bylaws, regarding business approvals, “harmonizing liquor laws,” along with cost offsets and relief programs.
Tostenson says the “very obvious” one that can be addressed is the province’s employers health tax. He says the restaurant groups are calling on the province to change the threshold from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Changes to minimum wages are also on the table, he said. (Greg: The Global News article above this one says they only want the threshold increased to $750k so who is lying Mr. Tostenson or City News or Global News another MSM fail. This news junkie 58 years old has never seen such inaccurate media such lying by the media and the polls show support for the media is at an all time low https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2021-06/RTDNA_Trust_in_News-Tables_1-2021-06-03-v1_0.pdf 34% have no or little trust in the media.)
“Right off the bat, we need to have some common-sense discussion this year about minimum wage, because it’s always [tied] to inflation. Last year, it was 6.9 per cent increase in our wages. So, what’s the common-sense approach this year, because who knows what inflation will be — how do you calculate that?” (Greg: I support all the increases the NDP have made to the minimum wage in BC since they took power from the BC Liberal 16 years of majority rule glad they got rid of the training wage and that barmaids and tapmen get the same minimum wage as anyone else now. With the high cost of rent and groceries and inflation continuing you really want to bring up the minimum wage issue? )
Tostenson also cites liquor licencing fines as another area that governments could adjust to help businesses.
“There’s a program in British Columbia called the ‘Minors as Agents Program,’ [where] the government goes in, and they’re going, ‘Gotcha, you just served a minor,’ [and they’re handing out] a $7,500 fine on the spot, for, in most cases, an innocent mistake,” he explained. (Greg: As a former minor with a fake I.D. I know it is a battle just how many ppl have been busted and are any places repeat offenders? How hard is it to I.D. everyone under 30? The same general rules apply to tobacco sales.)
Tostenson says the groups also want to see the acceleration of permit approvals, such as patio approvals seen in regions across B.C. during the summer. “The bureaucracy complicates these things.”
“There’s certainly safety things on patios we have to be [aware of] but let’s just get on with it. They have to realize that the small business owner, any business owner, doesn’t have the time to be chasing websites and government regulations and trying to understand this stuff,” he said.
For Senecal-Junkeer, this sentiment rings true.
“We’re still, here in Vancouver, seeing a lot of really long delays on a lot of permitting, all those processes are really challenging, in particularly for small, really overworked independent restauranteurs.”
He says closure is not on the horizon, but he knows for many other business owners, it is.
“There’s a 9-alarm fire in our sector,” said Senecal-Junkeer.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver says it’s established a simplified process and faster approvals for some liquor licences and permits, adding it will review the recommendations made by the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
The restaurant groups also want governments to take a look at and accelerate the skilled foreign worker program to address labour shortages in the industry.
In response to the groups’ requests, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, says the province supported businesses during the pandemic through grants and continues to in other ways, including a program that gives businesses money for vandalism repairs and prevention, cap on food delivery fees, and wholesale liquor pricing.
Restaurants Canada Vice President Mark von Schellwitz describes restaurants as the “heart” of every community in B.C. (Greg: In a different era it was the churches or the community hall.)
“We’re confident that community leaders across the province will recognize the urgency of the situation at-hand.”
-With files from Monika Gul and Pippa Norman
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/01/23/bc-hospitality-restaurant-industry-struggling/
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