Some restaurants pivoting to takeout for New Year's Eve
Few people are as ready to say goodbye to 2021 as those in the restaurant industry and some establishments have taken the extra step of opting to go takeout-only for what's typically one of the biggest nights of the year.
Emily Ienzi, co-owner of two six {ate} in Little Italy, said the decision came after a week of cancellations and seeing case counts climbing in Ottawa.
"Every restaurateur that I speak to is a little on-edge, their staff are nervous and we're nervous. It's not a comfortable feeling to go to work feeling scared," she said.
Ienzi said the small restaurant just couldn't accommodate New Year's revellers safely given the increased transmissibility of Omicron.
The take-home option has sold out in the meantime, Ienzi said — with 90 orders set to go out Dec. 31 — though that won't include the same kind of alcohol spending that comes with a typical New Year's Eve.
"It definitely has been a rough December. Not the December we were hoping for," Ienzi said.
Brassica co-owner Maggie von zur-Muehlen said seeing Ottawa's case counts break records had the team looking to adapt ahead of the curve — they've sold out their special takeout menu.
"Rather than being told that we had to shut down, we kind of wanted to make the decision to shut down and thus not waste a bunch of food and restructure what we're offering for take out," von zur-Muehlen said.
"There was more a sense of gratitude that we're trying to keep everybody safe."
Some dining rooms still open
Even restaurants that are offering diners an in-person experience have had to scale back the festivities as people cancel reservations at the last minute.
"We're just doing our regular menu, takeout, deliveries and people who wish to come in — it's a safe place to come in," said Joe Thottungal, chef and owner at Thali.
New Year's Eve is a major day in the calendar for restaurant owners, Thottungal said, especially ahead of a seasonal drop in business in January.
"These are one of the best dates we should have," he said.
Fairouz Cafe in the ByWard Market is encouraging people opt for takeout, they will be offering their New Year's Eve menu for two cohorts of about 20 customers who will be seated according to public health protocols on Dec. 31.
Co-owner Tony Garcia said closing down in recent days allowed the restaurant time to adapt to reduce capacity and accommodate people with health concerns who didn't feel comfortable serving customers.
"There were a lot of nerves the last few weeks. The Christmas break closing kind of gave people an opportunity to step back," Garcia said.
Garcia said remaining open gives people who do need to work the option to do so at an important time of year.
