Estevan is blessed to have an array of great businesses, particularly when it comes to restaurants.
Our local restaurants offer tremendous diversity. Many of them have that signature or featured dish for which they’re known, or they have a certain food in their name, but then they also have plenty of other foods to meet their customers’ fancy.
We aren’t just a city that has burgers, fries and pizza on the menus. And our fast food joints have a pretty good selection as well.
We’ve seen a number of restaurants open during the past 12 months, just like we’ve seen numerous other businesses open. This has certainly been a positive development for the community – as with any other business, competition is healthy, and new businesses create jobs and reflect confidence.
The restaurants that have come to Estevan since March 2020 have done so during a very challenging time. Not only has there been the uncertainty with the pending closure of Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station at the end of this year, and the less than glorious times in the oilpatch, but it’s been tough because of the pandemic.
We hoped that we were shifting back to more normal times in July when the government removed the pandemic restrictions. You could walk into a restaurant without a mask, you could sit with as many people at your table as you wanted, you didn’t have to social distance, you could have a buffet-style meal, and it felt like we could gather and have fun again, if we wanted.
And licensed restaurants didn’t have to worry about a 10 p.m. last call.
While the latest round of public health orders aren’t as restrictive as what we had in the spring, and they aren’t as onerous as in other provinces, they’re still tough on restaurants, particularly now that proof of vaccination is required.
Not only does it cut into the potential customer base for these businesses, but for whatever reason, those who are fully vaccinated and in possession of their proof of vaccine aren’t eager to go out and eat, despite the simplicity of proving you’ve had two doses.
Restaurants have noticed a decline in business in the past few weeks.
We all have positive memories connected to a restaurant. For many of us, our first job was in a restaurant, whether it be a cashier, a cook, a server or a dishwasher, or any one of a number of other jobs that are available.
We all fondly remember a great meal we enjoyed, a great night out with family and/or friends, or a celebration held at a restaurant or bar.
Often we’ve turned to a restaurant on short notice when we needed a meal in a pinch, or when our at-home meal plans didn’t work out.
Our restaurant owners are a big part of the community as well. You see their names attached to sponsorships at all kinds of different events, and they make donations to plenty of causes. They host fundraisers and they want to give back to the community that supports them.
We all have our favourite restaurants in Estevan. Many of us will also have a favourite item at that restaurant, although it is always worth trying something new; you won’t be disappointed.
The food industry is tough to enter. The profit margins aren’t as significant as many of us think. Owning a restaurant results in long hours and lots of stress. And it’s more difficult than ever to be in the food business. If one person has one bad experience, they’ll rant on social media, assume that every meal ever served there has been bad, and that everyone should gather together and boycott the establishment.
Reality is that most people who go to a restaurant have great experiences, or they wouldn’t come back.
Inside this week’s edition of the Mercury, you’ll find the Rally for Restaurants special. We encourage you to hold onto it, learn about the menu offerings and specials for these businesses.
After all, we’re fortunate to have them in our community.
