'Faced with this again': Small businesses cope with 50 per cent capacity limits

They are among the hardest hit by the return of COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario, and for restaurants and hair salons posting capacity limits is disheartening.

In London, two such examples, All-Star Cuts and Angel’s Restaurant, operate their businesses at 100 Belmont Dr. at Wharncliffe Road.

Candice Burgo, the manager of All-Star Cuts, says the rise of the Omicron variant has broken her optimism about an end to the pandemic.

“I thought it was getting better. But, I guess not.”

Gail Pearson, the owner of Angel’s, says she and her staff are stressed to see capacity restrictions return. They’d been enjoying filling all the tables the past few months, even if they were still forced to check vaccine passports.

Gail Pearson, owner of Angel's Restaurant, speaks in London, Ont. on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)

Now leaving 50 per cent empty is hurting the bottom line.

“As soon as they made the announcement on Friday, you could feel that no one came out after that. Over the weekend, I would say the sales were down about 40 per cent.”

And with revenue falling, Pearson says she may be forced to -- again -- lay off staff.

It’s a business decision she still hopes to avoid, but only if restrictions are short-lived.

Burgo has taken a different approach.

Candice Burgo, a manager at All-Star Cuts on Belmont Drive in London, Ont., Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. (Sean Irvine CTV News)

Since the pandemic hit, her salon has never returned to full capacity.

“We could have probably gone back to full chairs, but it is easier not to, knowing that it is still there and uncertainty and not knowing which way it is going to go.”

And as restrictions trim away at profits and plans for growth, both women wonder if more limitations or a lockdown is coming.

“You wonder how much more are they going to restrict? Are they going to go even further with it? Is it going to impact us even more than it has in the past two years?”

Pearson adds she “gets why we (health officials) have to protect everyone.”

But, like all of us, she wants the pandemic to end. “Yes, like now!”