After two years where COVID-19 health restrictions caused holiday parties to be cancelled or pared down, Lethbridge restaurateurs are excited to have year-end celebrations return. "We are actually booked all month long," said Ram Khanal, owner of the Water Tower Grill & Bar. "We have seen a lot of reservations coming." "It's exciting to see how long people were waiting to have a party." Catering companies are also seeing a spike in seasonal demand. Marie Milsom Galeana from LA Chefs says she is thrilled to see holiday parties back to pre-COVID levels. "COVID was hard and there was definitely a time where we felt that vacancy and missed doing what we love doing," she said. "We pivoted during COVID and tried to find other ways to bring the Christmas spirit and our services into people's homes." COVID-19 was hard on Alberta's restaurant industry, and now there are new challenges to contend with. A report from Restaurants Canada released in September suggested eateries are on a bumpy road to recovery thanks to high debt levels, rising expenses, and low profitability among other pressures. According to Statistics Canada's November 2022 Labour Force Survey, Alberta was one of five provinces that saw employment decline in November. The employment losses were recorded in several industries including food services.
