Restaurant bankruptcies soaring across Canada as pandemic loans come due
Inflation continues to take a bite out of Canadian restaurants.
Restaurants Canada, representing over 30,000 businesses coast-to-coast, says 51 per cent of restaurants are losing money.
The not-for-profit's study found the number of restaurants filing for bankruptcy has increased by 116 per cent since 2022, and they expect that number to grow if changes are not made.
“I’ve never seen numbers like this,” said Mark von Schellwitz, western Canadian vice president of Restaurants Canada.
"Eighty-three per cent of our restaurants took out CEBA loans during the pandemic, and only 20 per cent are in a position to pay those by the end of the year.”
Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans were provided, interest-free, to small businesses struggling to get by during the pandemic, but they must be paid back by Dec. 31, 2023.
Restaurants Canada urges the federal government to reconsider its deadline and extend it for 36 months to allow restaurants to recover their losses further, especially as food prices and staffing shortages continue to hamper the industry.
"The effective plan will ensure that taxpayer funds are paid back to the government owed while saving thousands of restaurants and other small businesses from being forced to declare bankruptcy in the near future," wrote Restaurants Canada in a statement.
Matthew Senecal-Junkeer owns and operates The Birds and the Beets in the heart of Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood.
During the pandemic, the young business owner says he was provided $80,000 to help support his two Vancouver shops.
Since then, he has watched food prices soar, staff wages rise, and foot traffic decline due to nearby businesses moving to remote work.
"We're very much in that COVID hangover and still trying to recover our losses," said Senecal-Junkeer.
"We're among the many restaurants who have seen their margins tighten, which has made it harder to pay those loans by their deadline of Dec. 31."
Senecal-Junkeer is hopeful something can be done to support restaurants further, as the inflationary pressures have caused additional challenges over the years.
The federal Department of Finance wrote in an email to CTV News that it extended the repayment deadline once before and is working to support small businesses.
"In budget 2023, we announced that we have secured commitments from Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses while also protecting reward points for Canadian consumers," said the department.
"More than 90 per cent of credit card-accepting businesses will see their interchange fees reduced by up to 27 per cent from the existing weighted average rate."
Restaurants Canada is calling on Ottawa to decide on the extension before or on May 31, at the latest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.