Bold's Pizzeria in Sahali is one of many Kamloops restaurants and bars impacted by Dr. Bonnie Henry's orders to prohibit all indoor dining until April 19 (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

INDOOR DINING PROHIBITED

Kamloops restaurant trying to remain positive despite short notice on indoor dining closure

Mar 29, 2021 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — Bold’s Pizzeria’s dining space is empty and it will remain that way for the next three weeks following Dr. Bonnie Henry’s new health orders. The owners expect business to drop significantly.

“I’d be willing to say our sales will probably drop where around 40 to 50 per cent,” said co-owner DJ Parkin.

Dr. Henry laid the hammer down on Monday following an uptick in case counts the last week. Among many new restrictions that will last until at least April 19, she’s ordered all indoor dining to cease starting at midnight on Monday.

“There’s a lot of frustration, especially among younger people, about the restrictions on social connections,” said Dr. Henry during her news conference on Monday. “We’re seeing that lead to augmentation of transmission through places like restaurants and bars and pubs. It’s unfortunate, but right now that indoor setting is where we’re seeing most transmission happening.”

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Bold’s just hired a half dozen staff as business has recently increased, but the establishment may have to look at laying some off, or at the very least cutting back on hours.

“We could see a drop in the next few weeks, which means that we are looking at a significant drop in hours,” said Parkin. “As a small business, [DJ’s co-owner and wife] Carly and myself take the brunt and shoulder a lot of the load ourselves. We’re going to be navigating what happens in the next few weeks and seeing how much the community wants to take part in what we’ve got going on.”

Under the new orders related to restaurants, establishments can still serve outdoors and carry on with take-out and delivery. Dr. Henry notes it was the indoor dining that posed the most risk in some places.

“WorkSafe inspections in Whistler a couple of weeks ago, we found that it was very challenging for staff to manage groups of people later in the evening, and that is what was leading to transmission,” she said.

Despite only 12-hours notice, Bold’s is focused on getting through the next three weeks.

“Of course I would’ve loved a little bit more time to go over this conversation, but it’s somethin we’ve realistically been preparing for for months,” said Parkin. “It’s not our first rodeo. We are now into Part Two of the pandemic. What we did in Phase One worked really well and we’re going to do something very similar moving into Phase Two.”