My wife Soley is looking for work today as because of this pandemic she lost her job. So what happened is she worked in a restaurant that has been closed since March 13th. She worked one day there then the pandemic hit and shut everything down. She was looking forward to working there because the tyrant she worked for in the other restaurant was just a crack the whip sort of guy. The money was good but it was taking it's toll on her physically doing 80-120 covers a day doing breakfast and lunch. Add that with the verbal abuse she was receiving it was time to leave.
We often ate breakfast in this other restaurant and really enjoyed the meal and the friendly service. One waitress that worked there mentioned to us the owners who owned the entire strip mall were looking for a buyer for this restaurant. This waitress said she was in negotiations to take it over and asked my wife if she would come aboard and the two of them could get creative and get some more people to come dine there. Sounded great so Soley gave her notice and worked one day there then the shut down came.
Well shut for that long in the back of my mind I was wondering if the owners were going to sell the place during the pandemic. We would drive by and see that there was no "for sale" so we thought that perhaps there would be no change during this what seems like a forever shutdown.
In our region restaurants with patios are finally opening this Saturday. This restaurant has no patio but we were expecting a call at least from the restaurant to ask if she was ready to go when the reopening took place. Well instead Soley got a text from the waitress saying the place was bought out by a fast food type of diner franchise. They went ahead and hired their own staff. So this new restaurant cleared all the decks and just hired their own staff.
Because of the pandemic the restaurant industry is done here. From now on it is take out or fast food that will prosper. A survey was done today saying that 52% of people are afraid of going to a restaurant until there is a vaccine. Waiters will be serving half the people they used to and probably running in to clean the washrooms every half hour and carrying a spray bottle and hand sanitizer in their apron. Wearing a mask and serving others who refuse to wear one. People will be cranky because if they do go out and eat they know deep down they cannot afford it because they are in debt up to their ears. There will be no turnover in waiter's now new smaller sections because no one has been able to see their friend for 4 months. They will sit there for hours.
The tip out will be higher to the restaurant because the operation will be buying more cleaning supplies and want their money back. Either that or tack on an extra charge on the guest's bill that will eat into the waiter or bartender's tip. The cranky customer will bitch and moan about it and leave angry knowing they are arrears on their mortgage a couple of months Service staff will become experts at listening to people complain about anything they can to get a discount on their meal.
Meanwhile in Iceland everything is open and waiters and bartenders go back to work not missing a pay cheque. No new infections and groups of 200 people can gather.
Soley is not looking anymore for a waiter position. It is over for that industry. I am on disability and cannot work right now.
I have only one regret looking back. When we got married we should have moved to Montreal or gone to Iceland. In Montreal known for it's hospitality industry we would have made enough to buy a house and have it paid off heading into retirement or in Iceland my wife with her connections there we would have been further ahead.
My jobs were better outside this country of Canada. I hope we don't pay for my miscue later.
We have had no good luck with jobs or health since we left the cruiseships. Total B.S.
Well tomorrow is another day and we will see what happens.
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