Just a minutes after midnight on Friday, some restaurants have opened their patios to Ontario residents eager for a normal life.

For the first time in months, Ontario stores and restaurants have welcomed shoppers after lifting some of the Covid-19 restrictions.

Restaurants, which had been empty since last year, filled up again and were full of lively conversations.

Stores, on the other hand, had winding lines along the streets as customers rushed to buy goods that they had to buy online or do without.

The return to restaurants and in-store shopping came thanks to the relaxation of Covid-19 measures. Nowadays, four people or all people from one household can sit and dine together at a table in an open-air patio.

The province also allowed sellers of non-essential goods for opening and operation up to 15% of the capacity and has lifted limitations on what these stores can sell.

After all, for the first time in months, Ontario residents were able to make purchases in real stores, for example such non-essential items as shoes or underwear.

Many people who haven’t used online shopping were able to buy clothes from a real store for a last time many months ago, in the past year.

Some people took a day off to celebrate.

The gardens in some restaurants were filled to the limit.

This is a good sign and a chance for survival for many businesses.

The province had 574 cases and four deaths from the coronavirus on Friday, June 11. It also stated that if vaccinations continue to increase and cases fell, it will loosen restrictions again in 21 days.

Sudden demand for staff to work in restaurants is used by jobseekers in this industry. Many thousands of cooks, chefs and waiters have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The situation forced many of them to change industries and look for a more secure and stable job. Many people from the “food industry” will probably not come back to it. In the current situation, the rest began to dictate the terms.

Before the pandemic, the hospitality industry was considered one of the least paid. Nowadays, when all restaurants rush to find staff, it is not easy to meet and find the necessary and qualified staff right away. The rates demanded by waiters with several years of experience working in a restaurant now reach up to $ 22 per hour.

For many restaurant owners, the financial requirements of candidates for employees are too high. After months of closure, when the restaurants were generating no turnover or profit, and the owners had financial costs and liabilities to bear, pockets are almost empty now. Potential turnover and profits will only be generated from current and future income if customers continue to come.

Nevertheless, the industry began chasing for employees and filling jobs with personnel that the owners would manage to catch.

The upcoming sunny and warm days, combined with the improving situation with coronavirus, give almost everyone optimism.

Pics by Andrzej Kobylecki