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A Richmond nightclub owner was “quite emotional” after hearing the latest announcement from the provincial government that they would remove certain COVID-19 restrictions.
“I have been waiting for this moment for so long. This was the most exciting news I have heard in the past two years. I called my employees right away and we felt quite emotional,” said Richmondite Qi Da, owner of No. 88 Club on Alexandra Rd.
Da’s establishment has been closed since the start of the pandemic, but as of 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 16, he along with all restaurants, bars and nightclubs across B.C. can reopen with no capacity limits. Mingling between tables and dancing (albeit while wearing masks) is also now allowed.
With the hope of enriching Richmond’s nightlife, Da opened his club in December 2019 -- just months before the pandemic was declared.
“It has been a rollercoaster ride over the past two years with shutdowns and restrictions going on. We were questioning at one point whether our business could even make it through or not,” Da told the Richmond News.
“But we respected the health officers’ decisions and just clung to the hope that everything would go back to normal -- eventually.”
Da isn’t the only business owner in town celebrating news of restrictions lifting.
Jason Yang, owner of Fortune Terrace Chinese Cuisine in Richmond, said the latest announcement -- removing the table limits -- made his day.
“It’s exhilarating to see big families and parties returning to our restaurant to have a great time. It’s going to be a recovery time for many local eateries,” said Yang, adding that removing the six-person table limit could double his business’ capacity.
Meanwhile, William Tse, association director of the Richmond-based BC Asian Restaurant Café Owners Association, welcomed the news.
Tse, however, thinks it’s still not smooth sailing for many local businesses.
“Restaurant owners still need to deal with many issues, particularly labour shortages and surging food prices,” said Tse.
Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that the annual inflation rate rose to 5.1 per cent in January compared to a gain for 4.8 per cent in December, driven higher by prices for housing, gasoline and groceries.
Yang agreed that many small business owners need to offer higher wages to “lure” employees back.
“Many experienced chefs and restaurant workers left the industry over the past two years and started their career somewhere else. The most effective way to invite them back is to give them good offers. Otherwise, they won’t stay. The rising food prices and wages might take a toll on many small business owners,” said Yang.
“It’s still a long way to go,” he added.
