Restaurant relaunch rules released, but some businesses will delay opening

Guidelines issued for business reopenings The province has released guidelines for businesses to begin reopening on May 14. Kevin Green has more.

Calgary — The Alberta Government has released detailed guidelines for businesses set to open in the first phase of the province’s relaunch.

An online portal — dubbed ‘Biz Connect’ — lists policies and procedures businesses must follow to address COVID-19 concerns. Among the stage one sectors allowed to open are day homes, cay camps, retail and salons.

Restaurants are also able to open for dine-in service as early as May 14. CRAFT Beer Market is one of the businesses planning to allow sit-down meals on Thursday.

Tables will be spaced out, stations will be sanitized and masks are available for servers who will be within two metres of customers.

“We’re also doing low-contact areas, which is basically no server or one server for a large area,” says PJ L’Heureux, the founder and president of CRAFT. He says diners will use either one-time use menus or can order and pay using a smartphone app.

“It’s all digital menus and you order straight to the kitchen and the food will come out.”

But some restaurants plan to hold off on dine-in service for weeks. The group that operates Cibo, Bonterra Trattoria and Posto Pizzeria & Bar won’t allow customers inside restaurants until at least late June.

“We want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for physical distancing, to get the right amount of tables in, the right amount of procedures in and not rush into anything,” says Creative Restaurants Group operations manager Glen Manzer.

“We’d love to be open full tilt, but I don’t think that’s anything that’s going to happen for quite some time.”

Business owners with specific questions about reopening guidelines can email the province directly at [e-mail].