Restaurants expand their business, sell groceries

CALGARY (CityNews) – Local restaurants are stepping up their game during COVID-19, offering alternative solutions to getting your groceries.

“We’ll get a customer ordering a nacho kit, a local burger, a roll of toilet paper, sriracha sauce (and) a veggie bag,” said Nathan Moore, GM of Local Public Eatery.

The Local on 8th Ave restaurant is one of many in Calgary now offering take-out service, as well as an online grocery and liquor store as a way to push their supply and to keep their business alive during these unprecedented times.

“What we have access to you can’t match that especially nowadays,” said Moore. “It’s one of those things we can actually service our communities with these products.”

Sylvain Charlebois is a professor at Dalhousie University in management and agriculture.

He says this can only help lessen the pressure on grocery stores who have been inundated with delivery orders.

“Let’s face it, right now more than half the Canadians are trying to avoid the grocery store. They are fearful of places where there are a lot of people, a lot of traffic.”

Charlebois says pop-up grocery stores like this are great as long as the pricing is affordable and reasonable.

Local on 8th charges about a dollar for a roll of toilet paper. Throw in a meal kit or a ready-made burger and It could be a one-stop-shop.

Moore says this is certainly another way to support restaurants especially when many are uncertain about their future.

“We’ve learned a lot and in any tough situation you come out of it stronger.”