New data shows just how much restaurants are suffering in Canada right now
People across the country are staying at home after a drastic growth in coronavirus cases over the weekend, and the Canadian restaurant industry is taking a major hit.
One of the biggest online reservation companies in Canada just released a new study that shows restaurants are "facing a severe reduction in diners."
OpenTable made a public statement to summarize data gathered from nearly 60,000 restaurants in seven countries, including Canada, that use their platform.
According to the study, the past week has seen "sharp declines"in reservations made online, over the phone, or through walk-ins compared to last year's numbers.
The number of reservations made in Canada have dropped 47 per cent, which is on par with the global average.
By province, Ontario's drop was the most severe at 54 per cent, followed by Alberta at 49 per cent, then Quebec which saw a 46 per cent drop, and British Columbia at 38 per cent.
When parsed by city, Toronto and Calgary both saw reservations decrease by a whopping 54 per cent.
"Please support your local restaurants during this turbulent time, as they are a vital part of our communities," said Andrew Johnston, Open Table's COO.
"Restaurants are already required to operate under the strictest health codes and are monitored at the local level — but we are seeing many of them go above and beyond.
They are taking swift action to protect diners, such as by distancing tables and dedicating staffers to full-time sanitizing."
Many Canadian businesses who've opted to stay open this week have taken to social media to outline increased cleanliness measures, despite closures across industries to promote social isolation.
Fareen Karim
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