OTTAWA -- While some public health measures will be lifted soon, many non-essential businesses will remain closed for several weeks, including indoor dining, indoor sports and recreation and movie theatres.
Sam Saikali would love to open the doors of Al’s Steakhouse to indoor dining again soon, but he isn’t holding his breath.
"Who knows what’s going to happen," he said. "I would love indoor dining to open.”
But the owner is ready to go for patio dining, after the Ontario government announced outdoor dining of up to four people could be allowed when Ontario enters stage one of the Roadmap to Reopening plan next month.
"There’s no reason why patio dining should not be permitted. We’re outdoors, it’s very safe and our industry we have followed every protocol we were supposed to follow," said Saikali.
It’s part of the province’s first step to reopen. The stay-at-home order is expected to end next month.
The Ontario government's threshold to reopening indoor dining to the public includes 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses. But it’s not the only metric that they’re using.
The same goes for indoor seated events as well as indoor fitness and recreation, part of step three of reopening.
"If they’re starting phase one in mid-June then that means the earliest we can open is the beginning of August," said Jason Billows, co-owner of Yogatown. "So it will be quite a ways for us."
He says while it is a ways away, they’re confident they’ll open their three studios to its members.
"That being said with the variants everything that’s gone on who knows what can happen," he said.
At the Mayfair Theatre, co-owner Josh Stafford says the support from patrons has helped them through the pandemic so far.
"We are on our 14-month on and off lockdown (since) March 15, 2020," Stafford said, the theatre getting ready to turn 90 in 2022. "I don’t think in our wildest imaginations this far along we would still be here."
Recently local artists held a fundraiser for the theatre, raising over $20,000. It’s something Stafford said he’s grateful for.
And while they can’t wait to open, he said they’re willing to wait if it means there won’t be another lockdown.
"Whether it’s in a couple weeks or a couple months we’re looking forward to coming back," said Stafford
Back at Al’s Steakhouse, Saikali says restaurants can’t operate solely through takeout much longer, counting down the days until he can welcome his guests safely outdoors.
"We lost so many wonderful days. So many wonderful days," he said. "We should have been allowed to open weeks ago."
