80% of restaurants are no longer eligible for wage and rental subsidies and many may have to consider closing without better access to assistance
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TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Now that Parliament is back, Restaurants Canada is eager to get back to work with elected officials to ensure hard-hit foodservice companies have enough federal support to move on. Winter.
“Restaurants are essential to reviving Canada’s main streets and fueling our country’s economic recovery, but they must first survive,” said Restaurants Canada President and CEO Todd Barclay. “Federal support programs are currently too restrictive and will leave far too many hardworking restaurateurs out in the cold as they continue to deal with the ongoing pandemic. While our government was on hiatus, the 90,000+ small and medium businesses that make up our critically important restaurant industry fought to keep their doors open. They deserve federal support programs that will help them continue to contribute to the social and economic fabric of their communities.
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Survey results reveal a gap between the support available and the level of need
According to the latest Restaurants Canada survey data:
- Ninety percent of restaurant businesses have relied on federal rent and wage subsidies to help them survive the pandemic, but only 20% are eligible for the new tourism and hospitality stimulus program.
- The vast majority of restaurants have operated at a loss or barely recouped throughout the pandemic; eight in 10 operations have either lost money steadily since the first wave of lockdowns ended last year or collapsed with a profit margin of 2% or less.
Without better access to financial support, most restaurant businesses will find it difficult to keep paying their staff, and many will have to consider shutting down permanently under the weight of crushing debt.
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Restaurant Canada Recommendations
Restaurants Canada is calling for the following changes to federal support programs to help food service businesses continue to contribute to job creation, economic growth and vibrant neighborhoods across the country:
- An eligibility threshold starting at a 10 percent (instead of 40 percent) drop in income for the new tourism and hospitality stimulus program, with a wage subsidy rate calculated as 1.2 times the percentage decline in sales up to a maximum of 75 percent, to ensure that restaurants can survive the ongoing pandemic.
- Greater discount on all government guaranteed business loans and extended loan repayment terms through the Canada Business Emergency Account (CEBA).
- Tax credits or other sources of funding to cover the exorbitant costs of spending on security in the event of a pandemic.
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For more information on what restaurants across Canada need to stay in the picture as they continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic, visit: SupportRestaurants.ca
About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada is a national, non-profit association that advances the potential of Canada’s diverse and vibrant foodservice industry through membership programs, research, advocacy, resources and events. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s restaurant industry was a $ 95 billion industry, directly employing 1.2 million people, providing the number one source of first jobs in Canada and serving 22 million customers across the country every day. The industry has since lost hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in sales due to the impacts of COVID-19.
For media inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Glassen of BlueSky Communications at:
BlueSky Communications
Elizabeth Glassen, Account Manager
Telephone: +1 (647) 309-0141
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available on https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38df280e-6bb4-4d7c-af9f-49ecc81b4a86
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