Restaurant owners are ready to welcome customers for the New Year, after two difficult years of the pandemic.
“Finally!” breathes Alexandre Cossette, marketing director at Gray Collection, “as much as our teams who are happy to find customers, as much as we see the consumers who are back”.
At this time last year, restaurants were forced to close their doors due to the curfew.
Alain Creton, owner at Alexandre, is still struggling with this decision.
It’s “much better than last year when they savagely shut us down at 5 o’clock at night, it was appalling,” he says.
December 31 is an important day.
“We are really in the top 5 of our biggest parties of the year,” says Benjamin David of Restaurant Lloyd, despite last minute cancellations.
“People want to celebrate […] Generally, when you choose a restaurant on December 31, you want to be sure of your shot!” remarks Mr. Creton.
With the cancellation of festivities at the Old Port of Montreal, some restaurateurs have decided to take over.
For 2023, restaurateurs want an end to the shortage of labor and phantom reservations.