The Cellar Door Issue 38: The Restaurant Issue

By Lisa Muirhead and Jill Kwiatkoski, Sommelier (CAPS)

The restaurant industry is renowned for being one of the toughest roads to success, even in the best of times. Winnipeg, in particular, is a very challenging market, simply because our food culture is a thriving blend of prestige cuisine and down-home comfort food.

Winnipeg celebrates its elder statesmen—the restaurants that have been around forever—as well as the new familyrun and trending restaurants that pop up every year. We are blessed with an incredibly diverse population that has opened thousands of family-owned restaurants that bring a world of culinary tastes to our doorsteps. We have diners and drive-ins—and we have nationally-renowned chefs that are on the cutting edge of food and drink trendsetting.

But our restaurants are in trouble.

This is not news to anyone who has picked up a paper or had even a fleeting brush with social media. In November, the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association (MRFA) sent the results of an industry survey to the province to outline industry need. As of our press date, no provincial relief has been announced.

Once restaurants are able to re-open, for those that survive, it will take many a year or more to recover from debt incurred during the shutdown. With input from our restaurant partners, this is intended as a guide to how to help support the recovery of Manitoba restaurants.

The Roost

Restaurants are important to culture—but they are crucial to our economy.

95% of sales go back into the economy (jobs, food and beverage purchases, charity and more).

#1 source of first jobs for young Canadians.

1.2 million people directly employed, making it Canada’s 4thlargest employer.

12% of Manitoba restaurants had permanently closed by November 2020

50% expect to permanently close by March 2021 if conditions don’t improve.

80% of restaurants are either losing money or barely scraping by.

31% of restaurant owners, operators and staff belong to a visible minority.

21% of the foodservice workforce is still not working.

SMITH Restaurant at Inn at the Forks

How to help:

• Buy takeout! Figure out what you used to spend on eating and drinking out and redirect that money to takeout.

• Buy direct! When you order takeout, call restaurants directly for pickup or use restaurants that run their own delivery service: 529 Wellington, Peasant Cookery, Rae’s Bistro, Amsterdam Tea Room + Bar, Café 22, Diana’s Cucina and Lounge, Pizzeria Gusto, King + Bannatyne, The Merchant Kitchen.

• Buy gift cards! And if you can, hold off using them until restaurants are once again open to the public.

• Buy wine! Restaurant wine lists are still available! If you want to pair your wine and dinner, why not trust the experts that put that wine list together?

• Follow restaurants on social media! Because restaurants have had to pivot their entire business models on a dime, many are depending on social media to keep their customers informed about new protocols, takeout menus, and features. Most are leaning heavily on Instagram, followed by Facebook.

• Raise your voice! Tell your MP that you support local restaurants. It’s as easy as plugging your address into this letter: https://info.restaurantscanada.org/covid19recovery

• Take to social media! Tag your MLA and the premier in a social media post to express your support. Add the hashtag #saveMBrestaurants.

• Post your food snaps! Sharing photos of your food is an incredible way to express your support for your favourite restaurants. Show off your great taste and your mad amateur photography skills, and spread the word about the city’s best kept secrets—or old favourites your friends may have forgotten about.