If you open, will they come? Winnipeg business owners anxiously prepare for return of customers

Max Vo is anxious to pull out his clippers when he sees all the men around town looking shaggy and scruffy afterweeks without a haircut.

But as Manitoba gambles on an economic restart faster than mostexpected, Vo has more to worry about thanunkempt manes.

He's trying to open a new location for his Bespoke Barbershop as well, while the economy stumbles around him.

"It's very scary, because you don't really know what future thisindustrymight get into, with different rules and if they change regulations," Vo said one recent afternoon, from a well-worn seat at his Elmwood barbershop.

Whether Manitoba is ready or not, Premier Brian Pallister's government has given hair salons, outdoor patios, dental clinics and most retail outlets forced to close last month under a public health order the green light to reopen as of Monday, so long as they follow strict rules around sanitation and physical distancing.

The move, announced just last Wednesday, surprised many, considering how oftenhealth officials insisted any economicrestart would be cautious, in order to prevent a surge inCOVID-19 cases.

Rush to reopen

Business owners have scrambled to find staff, supplies and bottles of sanitizer in only five days.

Many said they cannot reopen that quickly, orfeel it isn't safe when people are still urged to stay home.

Vo, set to launch his second shop, sayshe's too invested to stop now.

"I don't give up easily," he said, his floppy hair tucked under his ball cap. "I'm pretty stubborn."

But he mustfeel buoyed when he glances at his phone, as contractors slap brick panelling onto his new brightly lit shop with scattered Michael Jordan memorabilia. He sees three text messages and several Instagram notifications.

"Whenever I look at my phone, it's crazy," Vo said, referring to the future appointments he's scheduling.

In part, Vo isrushing to open of his second barbershop at Regent and Lagimoderie, originally planned for April, tohandle demand he figures has built up.

In his existing shop aboutthe size of an average living room he only wants two of a possiblefour barbers working at a time to ensure physical distancing.

Vo will stagger shifts, but hopes by next week he can relocate some barbers to the new location. At 1,000 square feet, it'striple the size of his first shop.

Additional hiring is on hold.

"Right now we can't book everybody in because we don't know all of the restrictions," Vo said.

As soon as the province revealed last Wednesday that hair stylists would be included in the first phase of its reopening plan,Vo spent hours just bookingappointments. His 14-year-old son, Bailey, helped too.

"I was here for probably three hours and that phone just did not stop," Vo says.

Opening ina pandemic

Since then, he has been running off his feet, visiting both shops, while buying the furniture and fixtures so Bespoke can operate in two places.

He even planned to spend his 40th birthday, on Saturday, finishing his work. It's not like he has any other social plans.

"There's really nowhere to go."

On Pembina Highway, Peter Ginakes is thinking of how busy his patio at Pony Corral among the city's largest could be, if not for a global pandemic.

It's sunny and 20 degrees the envy of any Winnipegger with a patio at springtime.

But Ginakes has been in the restaurant business long enough to know days like this are rare inMay. He's now allowed to open his patio, but the indoor dining room must remain closedto customers for now.

What happens, he asks, when the weather turns?

"If I bring all these extra employees in and we can't serve [customers] if it's raining or if it's cold out, what do I do?" Ginakes said.

As of Monday, customers can sit down at a restaurant provided they're outside for the first time in more than a month. The patios must operateat half capacity, however, and patronsmust be seated at least two metres apart. Only "brief exchanges" with staff who are any closer than that are allowed.

Drink refills aren't allowed, and anything on tables such as napkin dispensersor condiment containers must be sanitized between customers.

Ginakes wants the government to extend those rules indoors.He'd be happy with even10 per cent of usual capacity "at least a couple of seats open inside, and if it [starts raining], we can bring a few people back into the restaurant to serve them."

With restaurants restricted for the past several weeks to only takout or delivery, revenueis a fraction of what it was.

It doesn't mean they aren't still busy but for Ginakes, it's meantjust four staffers at once to handlethe rush.

"It doesn't stop," one worker says aloud, as he slips into the kitchen.

Ginakes drops by his Nairn Avenue location for the lunchtime delivery crunch and slips on his apron to help with cooking.

He cannot stopthose revenue streams, considering how unreliable patio business isin May. He doesn't know how many employees he can bring back, when the patio crowd can disappear in a matter of minutes.

"Some of my colleagues say they're not even opening the patio because they can't chance it."

Sherry Sobey is treading carefully with her Exchange District retailer specializing in eco-friendly products.

Generation Green will only open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at reduced hours, and her cafwill only sell drinks.

She's scaling back since she's the only one working. Sobey cannot afford to bring back anystaff members. The only help she's got are her sons, who runthe odd errand, and a friend who's offered to volunteer.

"I have to build up my revenue again to be able to employ people," she says.

Any income will be funnelled into her rent, roughly $5,000 a month. The $40,000 loan from the federal government's aid program helps, but it won't last. Otherwise, the bills keep coming, even ifcustomers return slowly.

"I don't expect a huge rush inpeople are going to be tip-toeing in," Sobey said, wiping a counter with sanitizer.

The business crowdvital to so many Exchange District businesses will likely be diminished at first. Once they return, she wonders if they will visit as often as before.

"Have their habits been broken? We'll see."