I know people are fed up with hearing about the hot weather and the seemingly inescapable heat, but I’ve got a gripe for you.
Some Burnaby restaurants I’ve visited in the past couple of days are sweltering inside.
Why?
Because they’ve shut off the air conditioning to save money as they continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19.
I was told that by servers at two of the restaurants when I asked why it was so hot inside as I was trying to eat.
Like really hot – so hot I felt as though I was suffocating.
I’m not naming the restaurants because my point isn’t to shame them. Instead, it’s to ask if this is a reasonable thing for a business to do.
I get that times are tough and restaurants are struggling even with the in-person dining restrictions lifted. Most restaurants still haven’t opened to full capacity yet and many diners are staying away until they are fully vaccinated.
So I get it. But you are also pushing diners away by making it unbearable. I heard some other diners complain about the temperature inside. I also left one place before ordering because it was so hot inside that it just wasn’t worth it. And let's not forget how rough that must be for the staff who work in the restaurants and who must wear face masks - and sometimes face shields too - during their entire shift.
Maybe they need to charge a fee for the AC like some have done with the cost of COVID-19 measures. I might actually be willing to pay that.
It’s a tough call. Many of these businesses are on the financial edge right now but they could be driving away customers at the same time.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
