‘Very scary’: Rural Nova Scotia restaurants brace for tariffs, rising costs

Many “mom and pop” N.S. restaurants are worried about the impact of U.S. tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s impending retaliatory tariffs are fuelling concerns across the country, and in Nova Scotia, many restaurant owners – especially those in rural areas – are bracing for the impact.

The Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia (RANS) held two information sessions this week in Amherst and Pugwash, bringing together food and beverage owners to address key challenges.

“About a year ago, we started this initiative called ‘Meet and Greets.’ It came out of the post-pandemic era to really give RANS the opportunity to meet the restaurant owners in different areas of the province,” explains Heather Boucher, marketing co-ordinator for RANS.

“We’re a non-profit team of three, so it’s very hard for us to get into every restaurant in the province. So what we’re trying to do is learn about what’s happening in each region. There’s a lot of successes, but a lot of challenges that make each region unique … And we already have such a high number of restaurants working to break even at the moment – 53 per cent is our current statistic. That is definitely a concern."

RANS emphasizes there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, particularly with the looming tariff threat.

“What we’re seeing is, it’s very scary for operators to think about another cost being added on top,” says Boucher. “But for us, especially with these regional visits, it’s a really good opportunity to start focusing on buying local because it’s been an expression for years and years, but this is an opportunity for us to really do it.”

The non-profit Cumberland Business Connector, which assists businesses in Cumberland County, highlights the need for such summits.

“Well, I started by speaking with the restaurant association over a year ago; I knew that our restaurant industry had struggles and there are supports provincially, but sometimes I like to knock on the door in Halifax and bring them up,” said Sylvia Day, communications and special projects lead with the Cumberland Business Connector.

“With rural populations there are a lot of seasonal businesses, we don’t have a lot of populations to sustain a lot of businesses … you could tell people were learning, I was learning, but you could tell the restaurants we also learning that there are supports out there."

Kristi Cunningham, owner of The Elm Tree in Amherst, was among the restaurant owners who shared their challenges during the information sessions.

“People are struggling. It’s different than it used to be,” said Cunningham.

“Tariffs, you know, no taxes and then tax. Kind of the changing of government and where you think you’re going to end up. I feel like we see lots of change on a regular basis these days. You’ve got to stay on your toes. There’s a lot of research that goes into where you’re going to buy your products, with the new rules, because they change all the time. So being a part of a group like this really helps having a resource.”

RANS sees hope in interprovincial collaboration.

“So we are working with other associations to see what they’re doing,” said Boucher. “Can we source from other provinces? Can we source among the Atlantic provinces, be a really huge one for us right now as well.”

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