Will pre-pandemic crowds return this NYE? Some Vancouver businesses unsure

This Saturday will mark Vancouver’s first New Year’s Eve in years without COVID-19 restrictions – but some businesses aren’t sure whether pre-pandemic crowds will return.

Cullin David, the co-owner of Calabash Bistro, said last year’s restrictions made it difficult to turn a profit on Dec. 31.

In previous years, the Caribbean restaurant has sold out tickets to its NYE event featuring local DJs. This year, David told CTV news his team will be happy if 100 people attend.

“There are still lots of tickets so we'll just pray that everything works out,” he said. “That's all we got at this point.”

David said he’s holding out hope the community will turn out to support the restaurant.

“I feel very blessed that we're still open, we can still have a New Year's party this year, but it's been quite a struggle over the past few years," he added.

For those who plan on celebrating, TransLink is providing free transit Saturday night. Dan Mountain, a spokesperson with TransLink said those services will also extend late into the evening.

"We were happy to bring this free service back last year and we're very excited to bring it back again this year to continue the tradition and make sure people can get home safe," Mountain said.