Patios are vital for summer business, according to the Vernon-based Dahl Group which owns several local restaurants, two of them with patios. (submitted photo/Dahl Group)

By Pete McIntyre

'triple whammy'

Local restaurants banking on busy summer, despite industry woes

Jun 2, 2023 | 5:00 AM

Despite restaurants in Canada described as being in “crisis,” a Vernon company is preparing for a busy summer for its list of properties.

The Dahl Group owns several restaurants including Wings Vernon and the 1516 Pub & Grill.

Vice-president Katie Dahl said they are ready for the summer traffic.

“You have to work hard in the restaurant business,” Dahl said. “In reality, this is true for all businesses. It is all about having a team that is full of energy and enthusiasm. Also, finding the right leaders is key to success. We have the best in the business in all our locations.

Dahl added one of the key drivers for them is having two large patios for the summer.

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“One in the Anderson area, close to the new Cactus Club, and one on Okanagan Lake, a premier Vernon spot.”

Staff at Wings Vernon are ready for the summer traffic. (Photo credit: Dahl Group)

Restaurants Canada, which represents 30,000 businesses, stated recently eateries across the country are “in crisis” and still fighting for survival.

The organization said its members are facing a “triple whammy” of challenges: inflationary costs, labour shortages and COVID-19 loan repayments.

“We’re in this post-pandemic hangover phase,” Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president of the group’s Western Canada division, said. “It’s been really difficult to get back to normal.”

The organization said bankruptcy filings in food services have spiked 116 per cent since 2022 and about half of restaurants are unprofitable right now, compared to 12 per cent before the pandemic.

In B.C., the struggling restaurant sector has spent the last few weeks pressuring the provincial government for support. The group has been meeting with the labour and jobs ministers, resulting in a list of 10 recommendations to the province.

“We do know that a number of small businesses are feeling the impact,” B.C. Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey said, referring to the inflation and labour shortages, along with COVID-related debt.

The province is expected to announce measures to help restaurants and small businesses in the near future.

Restaurants Canada said its members have had to increase menu prices to keep up with inflationary costs, but not hike them too much to avoid pushing away customers.

Restaurants Canada is also calling on the federal government to extend the CEBA repayment deadline. The program offered interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits. The deadline to pay back loans is Dec. 31, 2023.

It is proposing a 36-month repayment schedule, where every six months, businesses lose five per cent of the forgivable portion.