Downtown PG President thrilled with return of indoor dining

Prince George residents will no doubt raise a glass in response to the return of indoor dining.

It was included in step one of BC’s four-phase reopening plan yesterday (Tuesday).

When asked about what this means for the future of outdoor patios, Downtown PG President Eoin Foley believes many locations will include them as part of their business plan going forward.

“I think it really adds to the atmosphere and the energy downtown when you see people out on the street enjoying themselves.”

“If you go around town, you will see various degrees of permanency in the structures people have put up. I know for ourselves at Nancy O’s, we are planning on keeping this up for as long as we possibly can. Our friends and neighbors at North 54 and the White Goose Bistro and the Makerie who are all downtown have created nice outdoor spaces and I think seeing those sorts of things stick around might be a little silver lining in the clouds here of what we can expect in the future.”

Foley added with COVID-19 case numbers continuing on a downward trend, now was as good a time as any to give restaurants a much-needed boost.

“It was looking like it was about time with the way the numbers were dropping. We are very happy not just as a business owner or a restaurant industry but as a citizen as well.”

If BC enters step two by mid-June, liquor restrictions will be lifted, meaning restaurants can serve alcohol until midnight.

In addition, Foley also can’t wait for the return of out-of-province and international travellers – that scenario could happen as early as Canada Day (July 1st) if the province continues to progress forward.

This would require at least 70% of the adult population to be vaccinated.

“We will be thrilled to welcome back more tourists. They give us a boost in business throughout the summer., While we might not get the same numbers that you see in the Okanagan or Victoria I think these new patios being out there for a lot longer will give visitors a great impression about our community.”

The four steps back to normalcy have tentative dates set and will depend on case counts, vaccination rates for residents 18+, hospitalizations, and COVID-19 mortality.