MANITOBA RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICES ASSOCIATION
RECIPE FOR SURVIVAL Adapt-or-die attitude keeps restaurants afloat BY JENNIFER MCFEE
T he pandemic has taken a big bite out of restaurant revenues, but adaptable eateries are pulling through. Switching from dine-in to takeout-and-de- livery models, selling bulk grocery packs, creating take-and-bake meals — some restaurants are surviving by any and all means. “In the beginning, we were adapting al- most weekly to new restrictions. We had excess stock because sales were reduced drastically, so we offered it to our commu- nity to purchase at cost,” says restaurateur Corrina Abrey, who owns Corrina’s on Main in Dauphin. “From there, we started selling grocer- ies — some from our own stock and some items that we brought in. At one point there was a beef shortage so we made items like that available through the restaurant, and it went quite well for us. I just did it to help people out and fill in the void.” The Manitoba Restaurant and Foodser- vices Association (MRFA) has offered sup- port wherever possible, most significantly in administering subsidy programs. It also bought the Letsorder.delivery web- site as a resource for members who offer
in-house delivery. Executive director and CEO Shaun Jeffrey says paying high fees for third-party delivery services was simply not sustainable for many restaurants. “So in collaboration with our provincial gov- ernment and Manitoba Chambers of Com- merce, we instituted the first subsidy that was distributed out to any industry,” he says. The Dine-In Restaurant Relief Program had three phases, adding up to $9 million in subsidies. The first phase focused on dine-in restaurants that converted to takeout-and-de- livery models as their main revenue source. Applicants were able to get rebates for com- missions paid to delivery companies. “The second phase added dine-in restau- rants with three months of delivery fees covered. Plus we added a model for rural restaurants to apply for funding based on revenue decline year over year, and the average distribution to rural restaurants was $4,800. We also added caterers who were able to do a revenue-decline subsidy request with a very similar dollar amount.” The third phase covered fast casual restau- rants, with an average subsidy distribution of $5,600. “Coming into the third wave, the average pandemic debt load was $127,000 per restau-
rant. That was quite substantial, so we advo- cated for many other supports such as the bridge grant, which included a $2,000 ad- ditional payment for restaurants only, since the industry was closed down the day before Mother’s Day 2021 and lots of food was sit- ting there spoiling,” Jeffrey says. “Outside the subsidy, restaurants have learned to row the boat with the smallest paddle possible and they’ve taken advan- tage of every opportunity while being as lean as they can. We are proud to say that a lot of these restaurants kept their staff fully employed during this time.” Now that restaurants have reopened to fully vaccinated diners, many are facing a staff shortage. “We initiated our new restaurant mar- keting and recovery grant, which is up to $2,500. Restaurants can apply to cover the cost of hiring using different programs such as social media or billboard advertising. The second half is to market your business in a way you’ve never marketed it before. We’ve seen a pretty good uptake on that.” Pre-pandemic, Corrina’s on Main typically had about 35 employees on its roster. In Oc- tober, it had about 20. “We had a hard time retaining our staff throughout the pandemic, other than a few core staff,” Abrey says. “We had to lay off a lot of staff when we were only open for pickup. I’m definitely grateful for the ones who have stuck by us. A lot have taken jobs elsewhere and left the industry completely because of the uncertainty of it.” On the plus side, Corrina’s is back to doing what it does best — serving fabulous food. And the industry as a whole is on the road to recovery. “The reality is restaurants survived be- cause they adapted quickly — and the restau- rants that didn’t adapt quickly closed, which is very sad to see,” Jeffrey says.
“We’re open now, even though it’s only for fully vaccinated people. Restau- rants are starting to see pre-pandemic revenues again and we’re moving forward.” ■
"Now that restaurants have reopened to fully vaccinated diners, many are facing a staff shortage."
– Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association president Shaun Jeffrey
Photos by Darcy Finley
Photo by Darcy Finley
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