COVID-19 vs. The Gait bartenders

Samy Cauvet, Economics & Busimess Editor » thecampus.editor@gmail.com

New order of business for The Gait

Samy Cauvet Economics & Business Editor and SRC Business Senator

On Nov. 1, it was officially announced during the BSR open meeting that “The Gait is making changes to its operational activities”.

The SRC Director of Finance Bernard Duchesne has recently updated the POS (Point of Sale) system to enhance the quality of service offered to students at The Gait. This new system will also facilitate the job of bartenders and servers who have been putting as much work and effort as in the previous years, despite seeing a decrease in their income from tips since the beginning of the semester (see “COVID-19 vs. The Gait Bartenders” below).

Before the system update, The Gait was organized so that sales would mostly happen at the bar. Therefore, the bartender would only use the central computer to enter orders and process payments. Now, with the current COVID-19 regulations, students are asked to sit down at tables and wait for a server to take their order. With this current set up, it has become difficult for service staff to keep track of orders.

With the newly implemented system, servers will come to tables with electronic tablets – similar to those seen at most standard bars/restaurants – to take orders. These devices are directly connected to the central computer, located at the bar where orders can be printed. This new system allows the servers to continue taking orders while the bartenders can prepare the drinks. This method creates a far more efficient service, which is good news for both students, who expect fast service after sitting down, and employees of The Gait, who have been overwhelmed by the volume of orders.

That being said, nothing is perfect, and there is still room for improvement, especially regarding one difficulty that’s been persistent since the reopening of the bar under COVID-19 rules: it is hard for the employees to keep watch way for students to make extra money during their school semester. Shifts are often outside class time, and tips are a welcome bonus. However, since the implementation of COVID-19 measures, some bartenders are underwhelmed by their tip income.

The Quebec government has imposed bar-specific COVID-19 restrictions that The Gait and all Quebec bars in orange zones must follow. Masks are mandatory, alcohol and food sales must stop after 11:00 p.m., bars must close by midnight, tables can only sit six patrons, and what some customers believe is the worst: no dancing. The Gait has taken these rules seriously. Masks are required at all times unless seated at designated socially distanced tables. A new integrated iPad setup allows servers and bartenders to communicate efficiently. The hall, which once could hold 500 people, now has a capacity of 84 individuals. And with fewer customers comes a decline in tips. two years, says his income has sharply fallen since he returned to his work during the pandemic. “I used to make approximately $100 to $150 on tips per night last year. That number was even higher during popular events such as Halloweekend. The highest I’ve made since the beginning of COVID-19 was $50. Two weeks ago, I made only $7 in tips on a Tuesday shift.” Thankfully, not a lot of bartenders use the campus bar as a primary source of income. “Working as a bartender is just a way to make some extra cash. I don’t depend on it to pay bills since I have money saved up from summer jobs. However, I’m doing the same amount of work I did as last year. My pay on all the customers and make sure that they pay before leaving.

The second order of business for The Gait was a very challenging project that the SRC has been working on relentlessly and has finally turned into a reality. Food is now available at The Gait! The new menu has expanded beyond the regular popcorn baskets. They started selling both wings and nachos during the month of October.

However, for the month of November, things are not as certain. Ther are two main points of contingency threatening the possibility of serving food at The Gait. First, COVID-19 regulations are introducing more uncertainty in terms of finalizing a permit to serve food at The Gait and second, Sodexo is the only food supplier that the SRC and The Gait can do business with. This is due to a contract that was signed years ago between Bishop’s University and Sodexo that granted them this exclusivity. Nevertheless, the SRC Executives and The Gait Managers are currently working toward making sure that food can continue to be served at the bar until the end of the school year. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the SRC Executives and The Gait Managers invited their employees to visit The Gait for two main purposes. First, it was an occasion to familiarize all Gait staff with the newest COVID-19 measures now that the Eastern Townships have been declared an orange zone. The second reason for this visit was to hold a food tasting session in order to get employee feedback on which food would be best to serve at The Gait. They were able to taste samples of nachos, wings, popcorn chicken, and jalapeño poppers.

The SRC and The Gait are now focusing their energy on improving student satisfaction at Bishop’s University as a whole, despite the current pandemic, and, so far, the feedback has been positive.

Photo courtesy of Cameron Balodis

COVID-19 vs. The Gait bartenders

Cassie MacDonell

Working as a bartender at The Gait is a well-known

Cameron Balodis, bartender at The Gait for almost Contributor

should reflect that.”

Even with a drop in maximum capacity, business is still busy. “Even though there are fewer people at The Gait, dancing is banned, and sitting is encouraged. This means people finish their drinks faster and order drinks more frequently. And, with the ability to sit down and think, customers feel comfortable ordering more complicated drinks. Last year, a simple shot would satisfy a group of customers who are at The Gait for the dance atmosphere. Plus, people expect faster service when they’re sitting down.”

Some Canadian businesses have increased their employees’ base pay to supplement the loss of tips. Others have incorporated tip money into the cost of their drinks and food. Many Toronto bars and restaurants have opted to add a 10 per cent COVID-19 surcharge to offset their loss in revenue. The latter, however, has come under criticism. Darren Dahl, professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, believes adding an extra surcharge may provide people with an incentive to stay home. People are already hesitant to go out to eat – a higher price does not encourage people to go out.

Megan Lennstrom, a frequent customer of The Gait, does not think that any bar or restaurant should force her to tip. “We are all broke students who want to get out of the house to have some fun. I usually try to tip 20 per cent of my purchase, but something about being forced to pay an amount that the bartender should earn doesn’t seem right.” Even so, it wouldn’t stop her from going to The Gait in the long term: “I’d just be annoyed.”