What’s it like for a top Montreal restaurateur when they close their restaurant?
Amidst the growing uncertainties piling up surrounding the global ramifications of coronavirus in Montreal, some restaurateurs took a bold stand in the face of a looming crisis involving tons of cancellations, closures and postponements in Montreal. One such restaurateur is Ryan Gray, co-owner of Montreal’s Elena and Nora Gray, who decided to close his restaurants to the public preceding the announcement from the Federal and Provincial governments a week ago.
Gray, along with restaurant owners across the city, stood in solidarity, refusing to keep their doors open in fear of serving as a hub for community transference of the virus. These actions, however, come at a time where much is unknown, not the least of which is the duration these businesses will need to remain closed and the economic impact these prolonged closures will have on these small businesses and their employees.
We spoke with Ryan Gray about the economic impact of his decision on his business, and his responsibility as a restaurateur to his community.
Photograph: Clayton Sandhu
How are you guys holding up?
Yeah, we’re good. Just really enjoying all being home together. It’s amazing how busy you can keep when you have a 1 year old and you’re running restaurants remotely.
Speaking of which, you have two businesses that are closed due to the response to COVID-19. How will this impact you financially and why did you decide to close before being required to?
We all, myself and my peers, like to think of ourselves