'There was never a full recovery': Soaring inflation and smaller crowds hurt local Edmonton restaurants
As inflation drives food costs higher and profits lag behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Edmonton restaurants are feeling the crunch.
Despite the holiday season often being the busiest time of year for many local restaurants, the soaring cost of operations and a smaller number of visitors is forcing some places to close.
"Nobody can keep going like this indefinitely," said Kyla Kazeil, owner of Prairie Fish N' Chips.
The central Edmonton spot formerly known as Grandin Fish N' Chips is closing its storefront. The local restaurant rebranded over the summer to distance itself from Bishop Grandin, an architect of the residential school system.
"Definitely wouldn't take it back," Kazeil said.
"But you know, right in the middle of like the hardest part of the pandemic and going through the name change and funding that, is also (the fact) that no one's working in offices where we used to have a really healthy lunch and happy hour."
Andrew Cowan, Northern Chicken owner, says the thinner crowds make it harder to operate as costs keep climbing.
"We'll probably spend an extra $40,000 this year on canola oil alone," Cowan said. "And that's just a filler for deep fryers to cook the chicken."
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), supply chain issues and inflation are making it harder to turn a profit.
"Only 30 per cent of Alberta small businesses are back to making normal sales," said Annie Dormuth, CFIB spokesperson.
A survey conducted by the CFIB found 20 per cent of small businesses in Alberta are considering closing or filing for bankruptcy.
"There was never a full recovery," Dormuth added. "It may appear that way when you see a full parking lot. But it's not the reality."
Cowan says his restaurant may not survive, and that's why he believes supporting local businesses is essential.
"Anytime I see somebody close their doors, it's painful," he said. "I kind of don't want that pain myself too."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.