Downtown Guelph bars and restaurants say as many as 100 employees will be laid off Monday after their bid to have the Downtown DIning District extended was rejected.
The pilot project, which sees patios extended into closed-off parts of Wyndham Street and Macdonell Street, ends Monday.
Downtown establishments had asked the city to extend it until November.
“Participants in the Guelph Downtown Dining District will lay off as many as 100 employees this Monday, as city staff declined to grant an extension past September 21, 2020,” said an open letter sent to media by Frank and Steins co-owner Chuck Nash on behalf of the owners of the businesses most affected.
“As owners, we are concerned that with recent Covid trends, customers will be forced to dine indoors in the near future,” it read.
“We are truly disappointed that while other municipalities across the province are moving to extend their outdoor dining districts for safety and economic benefits, Guelph is choosing another direction. In fact, city staff cite the recent rise is COVID numbers as a reason to close while we feel keeping people outside is the safer option.
“I guess they feel it’s safer inside” said Richard Overland of NV lounge.
The letter said financial losses will start as soon as Monday as the number of people allowed inside shrinks compared to the extended patio capacity of many establishments.
“We had zero revenue and income for three months and just got caught up. Now we are going back to weekly and monthly losses, everyone including our staff is stressed “ said Conrad Aiken, owner at Royal Electric.
The city has said that seasonal maintenance work, including line painting, catch basin cleaning, as well as street, sidewalk and pothole repair must be completed prior to inclement weather.
“The owners feel that Mayor Cam Guthrie and city council support the Dining District and an extension but for some reason there is a real lack of support coming from the city staff,” said Nash’s letter.
“The Downtown Guelph Business Association (DGBA) confirmed its support of a further extension this morning.”
Shakiba Shayani, executive director of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said they also support the extension of the dining district.
