Nova Scotia quietly drops distancing requirements between restaurant tables

Move will allow restaurants to increase the number of tables they have

Carolyn Ray · CBC News ·

Nova Scotia’s restaurant industry no longer has to follow strict distancing rules between tables.

The move comes just days after the province increased capacity limits to 75 per cent, but still required there to be two metres of distance between tables.

Luc Erjavec, the vice-president Atlantic for Restaurants Canada, says for most businesses, the capacity increase didn’t change a thing. He said most restaurants in Nova Scotia didn’t have the space to add more tables while keeping them two metres apart.

“That’s essentially we’re going to be stuck at 50 until the very end, and at 50 per cent it’s just nearly impossible to serve all our customers and be profitable,” said Erjavec.

Now, he said, inspectors will focus on capacity numbers instead of spacing. The province quietly dropped the two-metre distancing requirement between tables.

“This is a big change,” he said. “Hand it to government, they listened.”

Hermitage restaurant in Halifax opened up during the pandemic. The owners are hopeful it will be able to operate at full capacity later this year. (Robert Short/CBC)

While the move is being applauded as a step forward, one restaurateur said he’s not about to add a bunch of tables overnight. Ryan Wolfe is co-owner of Halifax businesses Julep, Hermitage and Unchained Kitchen.

Julep opened in June of 2019, when Wolfe envisioned a bustling, vibrant restaurant. He said COVID-19 put an immediate damper on that atmosphere, and they’re anxious to get that back.

“There’s nothing better than walking into a restaurant [where] people are happy, they’re laughing, they’re smiling,” said Wolfe. “It just kind of feels full.”

As much as he wants that feeling to return, Wolfe said he’s going to lean on his customers to help determine their comfort level over the next few weeks.

“Safety is still the way we’re going,” he said. “Slowly and surely, we’ll get there.”

In a statement, Public Health said the flexibility should help the industry recover faster.

“We believe this change balances the operational realities of running a restaurant with the province’s need to protect the public health of Nova Scotians,” the statement said.

Wolfe said he’s noticed a difference even in the last week, with more people coming out for meals. He said the shift in language from provincial leaders has put people more at ease.

Julep co-owner Ryan Wolfe hoped it would be a vibrant, bustling restaurant when it opened in 2019. The pandemic restrictions have muted that atmosphere. (Robert Short/CBC)

Erjavec said that feeling is long overdue. He points out that restaurants in Nova Scotia still face some of the strictest rules in the country, while neighbouring New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have both relaxed their regulations.

Restaurants Canada estimates two-thirds of Nova Scotia restaurants are still operating at a loss, so Erjavec said more patrons in chairs will help rebuild the industry.

“Customers should feel safe,” he said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

Wolfe said all of this helps set the stage for what’s to come. He believes spring and summer will bring people back out, and he’s preparing his staff for the potential surge in business.

“It’s a great feeling when restaurants in the city are full,” he said. “That’s the bottom line, really.”