Owners of new Victoria lounges undaunted by hurdles posed by pandemic

Thousands of B.C.businesses have closed duringtheCOVID-19 pandemic, either temporarily or permanently.

For restaurants and bars that remain open,reduced seating,reduced hours and fewer tourists have shrunkrevenues.

Butthe obstacles haven'tdeterred a couple of Victoria-area business owners fromopeningnew places to dineand drinkthis fall.

Yvonne Janzen, owner of theSedona Cafe and Lounge in the east of the city,told CBC's On The Island host Gregor Craigie she had no choice but to forge ahead despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

"When this hit, we'd already been in the plans for two years of construction," Janzen said."So we just kind of worked with what we thought would happen."

Seating was reconfigured to reduce the number oftables andtallwooden partitions were added to separate them.

Physical distancing rules meant fewer construction workers were allowed in the workspace, which led to delays. The landlord was supportive, though, Janzen said.

Janzen said herrestaurant's first month saw brisk business with mainly dine-in customers.

"In general, the takeout hasn't been too much in demand," she said."People really want to sit down. I think people are just tired of eating out of abox."

Diners evenlike the solid barriers between the tables for the sense of privacy they provide, she said.

'Just a small pivot'

In downtown Victoria, Tim Siebert and his partner Jessa Gildersleevetook ownership of theformer Copper Owl nightclub in January. They plannedto make overand reopen the business by April.

Instead, their newCitrusand Cane tropical cocktail baropens this month with its vintage 1970s characterrestored.

The dance floor and live music are gone fortunately for the owners, it turns out, because in September the provincial health officer ordered the closure of nightclubs to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

"I mean, we'd always wanted to be kind of a sit-down lounge bar anyway," Siebert said.

"So, it's just a small pivot."

In another pandemic-related twist,the B.C. government purchased thebuilding that includes their leased cocktail bar space, as well as the adjoining 77-unit Paul's Motor Inn. The motel rooms were repurposedto provide accommodationfor homeless people.

Siebert saiddespiteinitial stress about the new arrangement, they've beenencouraged byB.C. Housing's management and support.

He said he's confident their54-seat bar, even with less than half thelicensed seats of pre-pandemic times, has the potential to be a "very viable" business.

"So, yeah, very optimistic," he said.

To listen tothe full interview with Yvonne Janzen and Tim Siebert tap the link below: