The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton says January is already a tough time of year for small businesses.
The Red phase of New Brunswick’s pandemic recovery plan means restaurants are limited to takeout or delivery while personal services like hair salons, barbers and gyms must close.
Chamber CEO John Wishart says the clientele is traditionally lower at this time anyway and the move to Red adds another layer.
“Restaurants are another challenge in that the dining rooms can’t open now so they have to rely exclusively on takeout. Here we are in the dead of winter, it’s not like patio season when it’s maybe easier to visit your favourite eatery,” Wishart notes.
Retail shops are allowed to stay open under the Red phase but Wishart says he has concerns about public confidence over shopping in-person right now.
The downtown area has already been hurting given that many office employees have been working from home since the pandemic began and that will likely continue.
To help cut costs, some businesses have closed on Mondays and even Tuesdays, hours of operation have been reduced and restaurants would now have mostly kitchen staff and not wait staff.
While he thinks Ottawa has provided some decent support, Wishart hopes more financial assistance for businesses will be made available especially from the provincial government.
