COVID-19 and road construction a double whammy for Winnipeg businesses

The COVID-19 pandemic is not the only blow being dealt to some Winnipeg businessesnow, it's road construction.

Owner Ami Hassanopened the doors at the Falafel Place restaurant on Corydon Avenuethree weeks ago, after being closed for more than two months.

In order to ensure physical distancing, the restaurant can only serve seventables.

Adding to the challenge, a stretch of Corydon Avenue in front of his business is being torn up and redone, removing some street parking for his customers.

"Business has dropped at least 60 per cent, if not more," Hassan said. "We are begging all the regulars to come back."

Hassan said the City of Winnipeg gave him notice of the road maintenance and he was told it is slated to be complete by the fall.

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For now, he's operating with a skeleton staff and fears he won't be able to hire the majority of his employees back until construction is done.

He has put up a large signboard with balloons to let customers know the restaurant is openand parking is available in the back lane.

"We actually don't park there;we want the customers to park there and just come in," he said. "Some do. Some do not."

Hassan said he is trying to be optimistic and there is little he can do but wait it out.

All but one employee laid off

Next door at Beyond Flowers, owner Deb Woloshyn is feeling the strain too.

She had a record sales day for Mother's Day, but with the construction, andthe cancellation of most weddings and large eventsthis summer due to the pandemic, sales are slumping.

"For the first time in 25 years we're closing for a holiday because we've had such a drop in our walk-in business," she said.

Woloshyn has had to lay off all of her staff members, apart from one casual worker. The shop has also had to move its loading zone for pickups and deliveries from the front of the store to a nearby side street.

"Everything is different than we could have ever imagined it would be," she said. "If we had to deal with this again next year, I don't think we'd make it."

She was initially dreading the road work but said with a slower summer she is glad it will be done for next year, when business ishopefullyback to normal.

It won't shut us down, but it's definitelygoing to hurt us.- Ramsey Zeid of Foodfare

Over on Maryland Street, road construction is hindering access to Ramsey Zeid's Foodfare grocery store.

Traffic is down to one lane and the front parking lot is blocked by construction work, so customers and delivery trucks must find their way to the building via a back alley.

Zeid saidit's digging into business.

"We're down to half our business right now," he said. "We've resorted to putting some specials on at cost or below cost to try to attract people to come in so we wouldn't be affected as much."

Some delivery trucks are simply too large to fit down the back lane to access the lot and his building.

The situation might get worse before it gets better, he said, adding the sidewalks are slated to be redonein the coming weeks.

He understands the work needs to be done, but questions the city's planning and timing of the construction.

If construction had started inMarch, "when there was no traffic, it could have been done by now, I think," he said.

Zeid would like the city to consider construction work through the night, to expedite work on high-trafficstreets.

"We review extended work hours and the benefits of accelerated schedules on all regional and industrial street renewal projects," a spokesperson forthe City of Winnipeg's public works department said in an email Thursday.

Construction actually started a bit earlier than usual this year, according to the spokesperson.

"Road construction typically starts in mid-May when the frost is out of the ground, and hot asphalt becomes available from suppliers, though this spring we were able to start a few projects in early May."

The spokesperson did not say what considerations were made, if any, with regard to construction in front of businesses impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

Zeid said construction crews are working hard and he is hopeful the work will be finished on schedule. It started three weeks ago and is expected to last 50 business days, he said.

"It won't shut us down but it's definitely going to hurt us."