By Patrick Newhook/December 30, 2021
With the province bumped back to Alert Level 3 following the spread of the Omicron variant, businesses like bars and lounges have been prohibited from opening in order to try to slow the spread.
This came as a blow to establishments who, after months of lockdowns and heavy restrictions, where eager to welcome folks getting together with their friends on Tibb’s Eve.
The province moved into the new alert level that very morning.
GolfShotz is a golf simulator/bar located in Mount Pearl, and owner Trevor Hefferan says that as the winter months are their busiest, business had been doing well.
“This is our peak season being an indoor golf facility so the last two months it really did pick up and it really was catching on,” said Hefferan. “We run a men’s league here so that kind of took off, bringing us right into Christmas holidays, so yeah it was good.”
GolfShotz opened in December, 2019. By March it had to shut down due to restrictions. According to Hefferan, the winter is the busiest season for the business so seeing the province entering Level 3 at this time is tough.
“I hope it [ Alert Level 3] doesn’t last too long,” said Hefferan. “This is our third shut down in a row. We’ve only been open two years and this will be our third winter which is our peak season. It’s tough to say, hopefully it don’t last too long,”
Since GolfShotz is both a bar and a golf simulator, folks can come in to golf, just not to drink.
“We’re still allowed to allow people to rent the simulator, but not the bar and the lounge,” said Hefferan. “So, we’re more or less operating as a recreational facility at half capacity.”
GolfShotz also usually has an annual New Year’s Eve party. Under Alert Level 3 that won’t be happening now.
“We average thirty to forty people every year with live music and pretty good bar sales and the Golf Simulator going but that’s been cancelled now,” said Hefferan.
Other establishments have had to close their doors entirely under the new restrictions.
Fabian Power, owner of the Mount Pearl Westside Charlies, has had to shut down his business completely following the move into Alert Level 3.
He said that running a bar during the last two years hasn’t been easy.
“Challenging, that’s all I can,” said Power. “With the vax pass it kind of makes it a little bit easier, we kind of know who’s coming in and out…moving forward it’s going to be even more challenging.”
He said they’ve seen a major reduction in revenue as some folks still don’t feel comfortable going out for a night on the town.
“People do not just come out, you’ll have a few die-hards who don’t care but the majority will not come out,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Power is confident that everyone will make it through.
“This is just going to be a challenge and we just have to get through, we’ll all survive, the government money will help pay our portion of our rent and pay a few key employees, keep them around and stuff like that,” said Power. “We’ll get through it. I’ve been in business for 25 years, been lots of ups and downs.”
