A sticky situation: Quebec sugar shack grateful to be open, but struggling amid staff shortage

For the first time in two years, music and laughter are once again filling the dining room of Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud, Que. 

Welcoming back patrons is a moment founder and owner Pierre Faucher has been dreaming of since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the province's roughly 200 sugar shacks in March 2020. 

"It was a really difficult time," said the 76-year-old owner. "But having the people back in here after all this ... it feels great to open up and celebrate spring."

Katya Yndigoyen and her family were one of dozens of families who packed the tables Friday to enjoy the Quebec experience they've been long craving.

"This place has a very good spot in our hearts," she told CBC News. "We were looking for something traditional, something that goes beyond going to restaurant and we found this is so much part of our culture."

The business, which has been open since 1978, is one of the best known and most popular sugar shacks near Montreal. It is a designated Quebec heritage site because it offers the full, traditional sugaring-off experience.

Throughout the pandemic, Pierre says the business survived on the generosity and encouragement of loyal customers, who continued to order takeout and rent out cabins. 

Although the sugar shack is back up and running, it's still not business as usual. Faucher says he's not able to operate at full capacity due to a lack of workers. 

"I don't know where they are, they must be hiding in the wood work somewhere," he laughed. "Come back, come and help me!"

The lack of staff means instead of having 2,000 customers a day on the weekend, a regular amount in previous years, they're currently limited to just 500. 

Faucher's son and co-owner Stefan Faucher, 44, says many former employees came back to help them, but finding workers is a non-stop challenge.

"It's the first year we've asked our customers if they know extra cooks or extra dishwashers," he laughed, adding he's become a better cook himself by having to take on the task at times. 

Although the going has been tough for the Fauchers, the duo says it won't stop them from hosting people and celebrating the start of the season. With reservations flowing in, and customers still ordering ready-made meals online from an initiative called Ma cabane à la maison, the pair is confident business will pick up.

In the meantime, they're just happy to be operating again. 

"We're very grateful to be able to be open again, we're very grateful to all the customers who have come back," said Stefan.

"And even to those who want to come back who've not yet been able to, we hope that you'll hang in there and hope you'll come see us later on down the road."