A St. Catharines restaurant owner says their first patio weekend in 'Step One' was a success.
Owner of the Brass Monkey Local on St. Paul St., Rob Passero, tells CKTB's Tom McConnell that most customers were well behaved as Ontario patios opened for the first time this year.
"People were very respectful with using masks and heading to use the washroom."
He says there was one negative encounter with a woman who wanted to sit with a table of five, and wasn't part of their household. Passero says the incident was eventually resolved.
Niagara's sec. 22 order limits residents to only sit with household members, and Ont. government rules state table limits of four, unless from the same household.
Passero says he's relieved they were allowed to resume outdoor dining, but he's waiting on government relief funds to hire more staff.
"We've been closed for so long I don't really have the money for it right now."
He says once relief funds come in they will be hiring, however he is however in need of a line cook immediately.
He says it will take about a month of patio service to replenish some of the funds needed to get back in the black.