Anger and confusion are the emotions still being expressed by Calgary pub and restaurant owners after provincial officials said they couldn’t open this week..Ervin Bushi, owner of the Broken Plate in Willow Park Village, said he spent $12,000 on food and $6,000 on booze in hopes he would open May 14..Premier Jason Kenney said the decision to keep Calgary establishments closed was made at 9 p.m. Tuesday. But it wasn’t announced publicly until 19 hours later at 4 p.m. on Wednesday..Many pub owners, like Bushi, were frantically scurrying during those 19 hours getting his establishment ready..“There were also cleaners, cleaning supplies, installing plexiglass, moving tables, printing flyers and posters, buying masks and face shields, sanitizers, rehiring nine staff,” Bushi told the Western Standard..“It’s been very stressful and confusing. The government didn’t even put out the safety measures until two or three days before..“This is stuff we have to order without any cashflow coming in.”.Before the COVID-219 pandemic, Bushi said the restaurant was struggling through the recession..His takeout operation is still running but overall in March and April Bushi said business is down 70 per cent. He credits his “valuable community customers” who keep coming for takeout..And Bushi, currently working seven days a week and taking no pay, said he knows better now to have everything ready for a May 25 opening..“I will be more cautious this time. Who know, maybe on Sunday night they will tell us we can’t open on Sunday,” Bushi said..The other thing battering his business is the continuing low Canadian dollar..“Most of our vegetables come from the U.S., when the dollar is down it hurts us very bad.”.Jennifer Duffin, whose family has owned the Lighthouse Pub in Deer Run since 1999, made the decision she wasn’t going to open May 14 – or any time soon..“For us, as a pub, it has to be all or nothing. I’m not sure how many of these politicians have been in a pub. The government doesn’t understand what the concept of as pub is,” she said..“How do you do it? All these friends come to our pub so they can sit and talk. We are like the Cheers of Calgary.”. POLL: Many Albertans say they will ignore Christmas COVID lockdown .Duffin said operating at 50 per cent capacity for her pub would mean actually opening at 25 per cent..“I think we are like a nightclub , in that category – when it is safe for them to open we will,” she said..Duffin said a government rent subsidy program doesn’t work for the Lighthouse because her landlord is a huge company that is not carrying a mortgage.. lighthouseLighthouse notice .In a press conference Thursday, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said it was the “right decision” to delay Calgary’s full opening to May 25..“I feel bad for restaurants that were ready to go…and had food that will spoil” Nenshi said urging Calgarians to order take out service from those establishments..“If you have the means to do it…eat a lot this weekend.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
