Phase 2 has started in Nova Scotia, and this weekend, the local venues have been busy and packed with guests. Restaurant, diner and bar owners breathed a sigh of relief during Nova Scotia’s first weekend of indoor dining.
Liz Ingram-Chambers, the owner of Le Bistro by Liz in Halifax, is happy to see everything slowly coming back to normal.
She added:
“Everything feels so good. We had an amazing evening last night. Everybody’s so excited to be back out and enjoying the dining out experience. Everybody’s so gracious. It’s amazing.”
Bars and restaurants have been allowed to seat people inside, instead of just on an outdoor patio. Still, tables are required to be separated by two metres and groups of 10 or fewer are allowed to sit together.
Despite not being allowed to seat as many people as before the pandemic, Ingram-Chambers sees this as a vast improvement:
“I really hope this [reopening] is for good because it’s incredibly stressful and draining for us.”
Victor Syperek, the owner of The Local, Derby Show Bar and Seahorse complex in Halifax, is pleased to see the bars reopen, but can’t understand why the live music is not allowed yet.
He stated:
“I don’t understand the rationale for any of this. I mean, if there’s a fourth wave, I don’t know who’s going to make it. I think everyone will go under, and then what a mess it will be.”
The music shows will be back during the next phase which is set for June 30. Still, this is a vast improvement and the majority of business owners are happy to see venues opening and people coming out of their homes to enjoy a meal or drink.
