Simon Lemire, chef and co-owner at Épi, a neighborhood refreshment bar , Trois-Rivières

Managing the reopening: “Our doors opened on March 12, it took us four more days to prepare properly. We are happy! For the moment, the offer is for evenings, from Thursday to Saturday. There are 26 places instead of 40. With the curfew, we can't run on two services. To compensate for the lack of volume and make it profitable, we have set up a slate menu and two packages, a four-course tasting and a food and wine pairing. Also useful for inventory! You have to prepay to reserve. We remain true to our image of being local with Libro, a 100% Quebec online reservation service.”

And the team? "The waiters are the ones who suffered the most. Ours remained loyal and answered the call. We are a small, close-knit team. Our cooks have always worked. Three of them, however, have changed careers! I fear a shortage of labor in the sector very soon."

One minute to midnight… “If the closures continued beyond March, we wouldn’t give much for our skin! It was time to reopen. We have the backbone… but not that strong!”

Covid Reorganization: “Our business plan has changed five times! We racked our brains: meals to prepare at home, lunch box kits and the Épi-cerie pantry concept. Since we do everything from A to Z, from puff pastry to ricotta, it was a great way to continue to promote our products. A wine merchant component for the holidays with private imported wines was also developed with co-owner Mireille Dugré, who is a sommelier.

Suzanne Gagnon, co-owner of Laurie Raphaël , Old Quebec

Managing the reopening: “As of March 16, we are open in the evening, from Tuesday to Saturday, at 50% of our capacity, with only one service because of the curfew. Since there are no more business dinners, there is no longer any reason to open at lunchtime. We are also made responsible for the origin of the customers, that is to say, we must ensure that they do not come from a red zone. The police are carrying out checks.”

“The reopening announcement was barely a week and a half ago. We’re all rusty. We had to train employees on the new menu that has evolved to adapt to the local clientele, new products and wine palettes. We had to order from suppliers, completely redo the inventory, manage reservations… and after five months of closure, it’s also a big clean-up! Here, it’s like a grand classical ballet that we serve to our customers. Everything has to be harmonized, from the cutlery to the wine pairings. It doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye.”

And the employees? "We kept all our cooks and the core team is there. We have the same payroll but for half the income."

One minute to midnight… “The reopening was a shock. Rather than reassuring us, it worried us. It happened on a Tuesday in the middle of Spring Break before we had even waited for the health impact of the holidays. Above all, the government must not open us up… only to close it again later. I am worried about our industry. I can feel the tremors. It is the bubble of happiness merchants (restaurants, culture, hotels) that are paying the highest price for the pandemic. I don’t know if I can dare to hope to celebrate our 30th anniversary this summer in a state of excitement.”

Covid Reorganization: “We worked three times harder. We reinvented ourselves at least six times… to make 20% of our turnover! The pandemic period was one of safeguarding our achievements, but also of deploying all our knowledge. It took more than perseverance, a qualifier normally necessary for any good restaurateur. It also took imagination and unwavering confidence.”

"We did drive-through service and two weeks of take-out per month, simply to keep our cooks, ensure a presence and maintain our reputation. In the summer, tourists represent 75% of our clientele. The 2020 summer season was saved by Quebecers who, however, do not spend the same portion of their budget on fine dining."

Help! “The aid has been essential to get through this. I am also trying to set up a round table with Minister Fitzgibbon to encourage the deduction of 100% of business expenses in restaurants, instead of the current 50%. I believe this is an important measure for the recovery of restaurateurs. There is also the challenge of the workforce to address.”

Alexandra Verret, owner of the restaurants Pinocchio and Alessa , Magog

The reopening: “We didn’t expect this news in the middle of spring break! A bit rushed in our opinion and perhaps not respectful enough of the restaurateurs, even if we are happy. Our two restaurants are now open. At Alessa, the transition happened quite naturally. Seven days a week and full for lunch and dinner. At Pinocchio, we took a few days to finalize and we reopened on March 12. The capacity is reduced, but we have about sixty seats instead of the usual 75, which is not so bad. The logistics are under control, but there is still the constraint of the origins of our customers which slows down the reception time and is not always easy in Magog where many have weekend cottages while being residents of Montreal.

And the employees? “We were able to keep most of our employees. Some were temporarily transferred from Pinocchio to Alessa. And most of them are here for the reopening. Since summers in Magog are rock and roll , recruitment and training were underway during the break when the announcement came. Another good move ! The workforce challenge remains, especially in the kitchen.”

Covid reorganization: "Pinocchio remained closed both times, from mid-March to June 2020 and again from mid-November. At Alessa, we turned to a delivery system, with the purchase of a car for the occasion. We were used to take-out , it went very well. The second time, we were even more ready! In the event of another closure, from the summer, we set up an online ordering system and ordered plexiglass. The summer season was also exceptional, a real tidal wave!"

One to midnight? “Not really. The wage subsidies helped. Owning two restaurants side by side eases the burden of rent. Pinocchio’s customers temporarily took over our neighboring restaurant in the meantime. The constant coming and going of one helped to breathe life into the other next door. Contact with our customers was maintained, particularly through social media.”