Indoor and patio dining returns to Regina

Restaurants and bars in the Regina area reopened their indoor dining and patios on Monday. 

Since March 28, restaurants in the region were banned from serving customers in-house as it became a hot spot for rising variants of concern. At the time, the provincial government said the ban would be eight days. 

In the meantime, restaurants and bars were limited to takeout and delivery. 

"It's been tough because we've been open, then closed," said Grant Lesnick. 

Lesnick and his wife, Silvia Savino-Lesnick, opened their restaurant on the lower level of the Royal Canadian Legion in downtown Regina in November 2020.

Silvia's Italian Cafe ended up replacing a previous establishment, Dieppe Cafe, which closed as a result of the pandemic. 

The Lesnicks felt they could avoid the same fate. They used social media to grow their customer base and relied heavily on takeout orders to get people to try their food. 

"We just knew that the product was good, and either way if we were open or closed, we knew we would be successful," Savino-Lesnick said. 

They said business has slowed down during the ban, but they also attribute it to less foot traffic downtown as people work from home. 

"We're hoping to retain regular customers back and get new customers as people go back to work, and they reopen offices again. We're very hopeful and happy. We're optimistic," Savino-Lesnick said. 

Staff return with the customers 

Sylvia's Italian Cafe is even considering hiring extra staff to brace for an influx of customers. It is not alone. 

The Pile O' Bones taproom in Regina's Cathedral Neighbourhood has hired three additional staff members, on top of hiring back all the staff it let go throughout the pandemic.

The taproom opened in August 2019, prior to the pandemic, yet the business has spent a better part of its time either shut down completely or navigating restrictions.

"We're grateful it's open and for the community support, but it's been a huge challenge from a business standpoint, and to keep our staff employed so they can pay their bills," Kristin Valgardson, taproom manager at Pile O' Bones, said. 

Restrictions remain in place

While restaurants can welcome customers back inside, some challenges remain. 

"We lost a lot of seating," Valgardson said. 

To ensure social distancing remains in place, bars and restaurants must space out its tables two metres apart if there are barriers between them, or three metres apart if there are not. 

The Pile O' Bones taproom reduced its seating capacity from 13 tables to eight. 

The province's guidelines on restaurants and bars say only four people can be seated at a table. There is also a curfew on alcohol sales. Drinks can not be served past 10 p.m. CST.

"I'm more than happy to abide with any of the measures if it keeps people safe and allows us to be open and keep people employed," Valgardson said. 

Despite some restrictions remaining, local businesses are excited to see their loyal customers face-to-face once again. 

"Food and drink give people the opportunity to connect with each other and support their local community and businesses," Valgardson said. "It's a very important part of who we are as people, especially here in Regina."

Saskatchewan's Reopen Roadmap: bars and restaurants 

Monday's easing of restrictions on bar and restaurants in the Regina area is not part of Saskatchewan's overarching reopening roadmap. 

Step 1 of that plan is anticipated to begin on May 30. At that time, a maximum of six patrons will be able to sit at a table inside a restaurant or bar. Dance floors and buffets will remain banned, but customers can play VLTs.

Additionally, two metres of distance between tables will need to be established. If it's not possible, then tables must be separated by a barrier. 

During Step 2, which is expected to begin in late-June, there will be no limit on table capacity. Step 3, anticipated in the middle of July, most remaining restrictions will get lifted, including bans on dance floors.