Toronto's plan to resurrect city's food scene doesn't go far enough, Mark McEwan says

Transcript

A Toronto restaurateur is praising plans to allow restaurants and bars to expand their outdoor dining as a first step toward resurrecting the city's food scene but he says there is still more work that needs to be done in order to save many businesses.

On Thursday, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced "CaféTO" which will let patios extend onto sidewalks and curb lanes, allowing establishments to reopen while still maintaining physical distancing. 

Mark McEwan, a Toronto chef who owns six restaurants, told As It Happens host Carol Off that the initiative is "a good start and it's directing the "conversation in the right direction," but was only useful to certain restaurants.

Expanded patios would benefit those businesses which already "have the furniture and the ability" to expand into the street, with many establishments now needing to buy outdoor perimeters, seating, and tables, he said. 

"It'll work for some, it'll be a long-term vision for others. But at least it's positive. Mostly, I would just like to see things get underway." 

Tory also said the city's plan will reduce legal restrictions on where customers can be seated by "expediting the current application and permitting process for sidewalk cafes and park flats." 

McEwan said this decision from the city is "terrific" because permits are notoriously slow," adding that it was common to "wait a year for a patio permit in Toronto." However, 

"The restaurateurs that I speak to, they're all ready to open. They all have great protocols in place."

Protocols that McEwan is enacting in his own restaurants include appropriate distancing between seated patrons, all staff will be tested for COVID-19 before they start and be required to wear hair nets, masks, and gloves, he said.

"I really believe we're uniquely qualified as higher-end restaurants to manage people, to manage space, to manage protocol. 

"We can handle it and I would just like to see the industry get moving again because it can't sit idle too much longer, it'll be catastrophic for the restaurant business." 

'Catastrophic' for the industry

According to a Restaurants Canada survey, approximately 800,000 food service jobs have been lost nationwide, with 300,000 of those in Ontario alone. Around one in 10 restaurants have been forced to permanently close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ontario government has a "two-front war" between trying to balance the continuing health crisis in the province's long-term care homes and reopening businesses to get people back to work, he said.     

"I did get upset when I heard the mayor telling people 'don't come back to work until September.' That doesn't work for businesses and operations. ... We have to find some semblance of normalcy again."

McEwan says establishing correct safety protocols have been "lacking from the conversation," and "constructive, enthusiastic conversations" are needed to get the province ready to reopen and "get moving.

"I don't think it's taken as seriously as it should be. When you look at tourism and you look at the restaurant industry, the hotel industry, that's a huge part of the economy. It just baffles my mind when I think of every hotel in the country is empty."

"If we continue this too much longer, I just don't know what the economy will do. I think it will be catastrophic for Canada and specifically for Ontario."  

McEwan says he "really believes" that within nine months to a year Toronto and Ontario will see "a 40 per cent failure rate" among restaurants and bars. 

"There's a huge density of food service that I just don't think the economy will support. Without tourism, without traffic across the [U.S.] border, it's really hard to imagine how the numbers will come in. But I know they're going to be rather ugly, unfortunately."

He says those businesses which are well established, have low levels of debt and have the capacity to diversify or create new revenue streams will be the ones to survive post-pandemic. 

"You're going to have to be creative and fast on your feet and have a whole lot of luck."

Written by Adam Jacobson. Produced by Chris Harbord.