'We can’t close': Edmonton businesses fight to stay afloat during peak of fifth wave

In a normal year January tends to be a slow month for businesses following the holidays. But, at the height of a fifth wave of COVID-19 with a highly transmissible variant, many are questioning how they’ll survive the next couple of months.

“We in the restaurant industry are affected beyond words,” Glenn Quinn, co-owner of Tzin Wine & Tapas, said.

“People are just not ready to come back to restaurants right now based on what’s going on.”

So much so, Quinn told CTV News Edmonton reservations are down 67 per cent.

“That’s a huge number,” he exclaimed.

“We’re stuck now. What do we do? We can’t close because we may never open again so we have to open and hope that nobody contracts the virus.”

“Everyone’s just trying to do the right thing and that’s resulting in serious disruptions to business,” Puneeta McBryan, executive director at the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, added.

Quinn and his wife have been in business for 15 years. He said he feels fortunate because they’re “established,” but not everyone in the community can say the same and that’s concerning.

“So we can keep going but what do you do? Do you use your savings to keep going? When do you decide you don’t want to do that anymore?”

“These business owners have put their heart and souls in their businesses and it would be a real shame to see this fifth wave be the end for some of them,” McBryan added.

While everyone has a lot to consider these days, McBryan said businesses “desperately” need help from Edmontonians right now.

“It’s now or never,” she said. “If we’re not getting that support for our businesses right now then when things get back to normal and you get back into your usual routine of coming downtown, your favourite businesses might not be there anymore.”

“The hope is that we’re at the tail end of Omicron.”

For a guide to downtown shopping and eating, click here.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Alison MacKinnon