Vancouver Island restaurants opening amid troubled times
The kitchen of Victoria’s Ugly Duckling Dining and Provisions restaurant hums like a well oiled machine, even though it's only been open for a month.
Its owner, Corbin Mathany, is a chef who's always wanted to run his own restaurant.
“If not now, when?” he said Thursday, acknowledging the challenges of opening a new restaurant, especially now.
“I think you can always find an excuse to hold off and not pursue the dream."
Mathany is well aware of the labour shortage afflicting the industry, so he's paying staff a so-called thriving wage – at least $20 per hour – plus equally splitting tips between cooks and wait staff.
“It’s made a huge difference for us. We've had no trouble hiring,” said Mathany.
The restuarant's opening coincides with the high profile closing of others in the area, including Agrius, Cora and Oak Bay‘s The Marina Restaurant.
Inflation and labour shortages are among various headwinds hammering small businesses.
Jeff Bray with the Downtown Victoria Business Association says foot traffic is down with many people still working from home, and vacancies at retail spaces are higher than they’ve been in a decade.
“It’s up to 10.19 per cent. We're into double digits,” said Bray “There is a level of nervousness this year, where it was a level of optimism last year coming out of the pandemic.”
Mathany says despite the odds, he likes his chances.
“To bring a little magic into people's lives and delivering on our promises, I truly believe that our crowd will find us and stick with us,” he said.
In Nanaimo, Mod Pizza is also forging ahead despite the current business hurdles.
Its owner Andrew Smith says a few months in, the restaurant is thriving.
“It’s been fantastic, a lot of great community support,” said Smith Thursday.
He credits that early success with community engagement, including hosting fundraising events with non-profits, like schools.
“We’re about more than pizza. We want to make a difference in the lives of the communities that support us,” said Smith.
He’s confident that that support will stick around.
“In a few years, I see us still being here, still serving pizzas, and still trying to make a positive impact in our community,” he said.
Back at the Ugly Duckling, a dream is what opened their doors, and Mathany is optimistic that hard work in hard times will keep them open.
“I think we're on our way to swanship,” he said with a laugh.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.