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Restricting food and drinks could be challenging for some businesses

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The provincial government announced last week many indoor venues would go back down to 50 per cent capacity in a bid to stop the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

But for the first time during the pandemic, as an additional measure, sporting events, concert venues and movie theatres are no longer allowed to serve food and drinks.

John Tutt, the owner and manager at Princess Twin Cinemas in Uptown Waterloo, said food and drinks are a big part of the movie watching experience.

“About half the people that come to the movies, buy snacks,” Tutt said.

There are two screens and each screen will have a maximum of 60 to 70 patrons at a time.

Tutt said he is hoping people still come out to watch movies. He said the holiday season is usually their busiest time of the year.

He called it a safe, controlled space, where vaccine passports are a must. He added physical distancing is easy at the theatre.

“People can sit calmly and don’t talk and face one direction and then they get up and leave,” Tutt said.

The Jazz Room operates inside of the Huether Hotel with a full menu.

“They like watching jazz and they get dinner. It’s the whole ambiance of the room,” said Kelly Adlys, the manager of the hotel.

The business identifies themselves as a restaurant and music venue in one.

Staff said they will be meeting with local bylaw officials next week for more clarification on how they can operate. The Jazz Room as been halting shows due to Christmas, but plans to be up and running in the new year.

“Someone is going to tell us what to do and we will accommodate and do whatever we need to do,” said Adlys.

Cineplex was operating at 50 per cent capacity last week, but only at theatres that could accommodate more than 1,000 guests.

As of Sunday they're doing half the capacity across the province, with no food or beverage consumption allowed in all locations.

“While the restrictions have slightly changed over the past few days regarding food/beverage consumption, our commitment to the health and safety of our employees and guests remains the same – it’s our top priority. We have and will continue to follow all guidelines set forth by all levels of government, including proof of vaccination requirements, mandatory masking, reserved seating, enhanced cleaning, and safety signage,” Samantha Shecter,a representative with Cineplex, told CTV News Kitchener in an e-mailed statement.

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