Restaurateurs ready for cautious reopening

For some Ottawa bar and restaurant owners, Friday's reopening, when they're allowed to welcome customers indoors for the first time since March, is serving up a large order of angst.

"We've been closed for four months," said Scott May, owner of Bar Robo and Q Bar at Queen St. Fare, a downtown dining hall and live music venue. "I think our first reaction is, 'Let's go. Let's do it right away. Let's book shows.' But on sober reflection, I think we have to realize we've made a decision [that comes with] an enormous risk.'"

May and Scott Ruffo, owner of The Brass Monkey, a pool hall and live music venue in Nepean, spoke to CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Thursday about their decision to reopen.

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced Ontario would enter Stage 3 of its phased reopening plan, which includes easing restrictions on bars and restaurants to resume indoor dining, with some health measures still in place.

Fearing a setback

May said there's a lot at stake for restaurant owners, and worries reopening too quickly could set the industry back.

"We just can't get ready in five days," he said. "We have to put a Plexiglas divider between the stage and the audience. I don't have one of those sitting in the back of the warehouse."

Following the reopening of bars and restaurants in Montreal, that city saw a slight uptick in the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases. Public health officials there have linked nine bars to about 30 cases, and anyone who's been to a bar in Montreal since July 1 has been advised to get tested.

If Ottawa experiences a similar surge in cases after indoor venues reopen, May believes it could spell doom for the return of live music in the city. 

"We would love, love, love to have live shows right away. But we have to balance that with our responsibility that if we don't get this right, it's going to be a long time before live music comes back."

"I think like anything, there's a risk involved," Ruffo said. "For us, we're looking at being as safe as we possibly can, following what Ottawa Public Health laid out in guidelines for us."

Hiring extra security 

Ruffo said his establishment has ample space to safely seat 50 people — the maximum number allowed indoors during Stage 3. He also plans to bring in extra staff to help with cleaning and extra security to ensure patrons from different tables don't mingle.

"If [customers] can't keep that rule in mind, we'll take it from there," Ruffo said.

"[The] last thing we want is a headline that says, 'Eight people caught COVID-19 at Queen St. Fare,'" May said. "That would be horrifying."