A Kitchener restaurant that narrowly survived the pandemic is once again on the brink of shutting down.
Elvis Ellison, owner and chef of Ellison’s Bistro, said bouncing back from pandemic lockdowns has been challenging. He said with the price of everything going up, paying bills has become even more difficult.
“Lack of funds to pay the phone bills, lack of funds to pay rent. It’s like a domino effect, like when one domino falls all of them start to fall at the same time,” he said.
Since he hasn’t been able to pay the bills, his phone line and internet have been cut off. He said it’s cost him about 40 per cent of sales this week.
“It’s a loneliness in a way.”
Ellison said he is worried if he keeps going down this path, his 18 year old bistro will have to close.
“I've been throwing things away. Constantly we make things, if it doesn’t sell we can’t keep it,” he said. “I've tighten my belt as much as I can. There’s nothing more to tighten now, or else I’m just going to wither away.”
Restaurants Canada said 40 per cent of restaurants have reported they’re still losing money following pandemic lockdowns.
“Inflation is hitting everyone the same. But restaurants don’t have the wiggle room that they used to because of the losses that they suffered during the pandemic,” said James Rillet with Restaurants Canada.
The organization said it could take 12 to 18 months for business owners to recover from pandemic closures.
However, a long time customer of Ellison’s Bistro, Travis Restoule, is trying to help keep the restaurant open. He posted to social media asking the community for its support.
“We've had so many people reach out to us and make anonymous cash donations,” Restoule told CTV News. “Which I know Elvis is really grateful, and we're grateful too. We're here to help him.”
Restoule’s son, Hunter who owns his own woodworking company, Hunter’s Charcuterie Boards and More, is donating a week’s worth of sales from his Ring Toss Game to the bistro.
“I just want to support him and help him out as much as I could,” Hunter said.
Ellison said he’s thankful for the support and said if it weren’t for the community, he would be in a much more dire situation.
“I cannot wish to be in a better city than this,” Ellison said. “They’re more than family right now”
