According to Restaurants Canada’s latest Restaurant Outlook Survey, nine in 10 respondents said that guests are required to show a vaccine passport/proof of vaccination for on-premise dining service at their establishments.
Six in 10 respondents said that these proof of vaccination requirements had a negative impact on their revenue. Table-service restaurants were the hardest hit: 44% of respondents said proof of vaccination reported that their revenue had significantly decreased. Similarly, 38% of ‘all other foodservice’ — which includes accommodation, institutions, bars, taverns, and nightclubs — reported a significant decrease in revenue. In contrast, just 14% of quick-service restaurants reported a significant decline.
In addition to the decline in revenue, nine out of 10 respondents are experiencing other impacts to their business due to proof of vaccination requirements. First, the additional cost to businesses as a majority of table-service restaurants and ‘all other foodservice’ needed higher staffing levels to handle the burden of enforcing the new rules. There is stress on staff, as half of all restaurants (regardless of segment) had experienced hostile confrontations from people opposed to the new rules. In addition, roughly four in ten table-service restaurants and ‘all other foodservice’ were the targets of negative social media interactions and bad reviews from people opposed to the new rules.
At a time when labour shortages are a critical challenge for restaurants, one in five respondents have lost staff due to the requirement to enforce the new rules.
The full results from Restaurants Canada’s Q3 2021 Restaurant Outlook Survey will be available soon.
Restaurants Canada Digital
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