DARIUS SHAHHEYDARI
PONTIAC June 24, 2020
Pontiac eateries are enjoying further ease in COVID-19 restrictions as dining rooms, patios and other forms of outdoor seating areas can now . . .
be occupied by customers as of June 15.
Hursty’s Bar and Grill in Shawville opened their dining room to the public last Monday.
Julie Dubeau, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband Allen Kuehl, said she was surprised at their steady flow of customers.
“I’ve been very happy with everyone coming out,” said Dubeau, adding that her customers feel comfortable coming into the restaurant.
Hursty’s is abiding by all the COVID-19 measures, according to Dubeau. Sanitization stations are placed at the front and back doors and at the cash for customers to use. Tables are also not set until they are occupied, with the salt and pepper shakers being disinfected between each guest and only brought back upon request.
Furthermore, washrooms are disinfected after every single use and all staff wear masks, with those working in the kitchen also having a visor.
Their patio is also receiving a lot of traffic.
“We had it full of reservations yesterday evening and more reservations coming for the following week, so it’s wonderful,” said Dubeau.
The patio is treated to the same measures as the restaurant’s interior, but operates at a lower capacity, hosting four tables instead of the usual five.
Hursty’s is providing a full menu, not being short on any ingredients as was the case for several establishments at the beginning of the pandemic. The restaurant is also back to their regular schedule.
It’s a challenge for the staff to be constantly sanitizing the restaurant, however, apart from this, it is smooth sailing, according to Dubeau.
“We’re happy to be open and everyone’s happy to be at work,” said Dubeau. “We’re happy to see our customers coming through the doors.”
Customers have had a positive response to their reopening, according to Dubeau.
“Everyone’s been very kind and patient and understanding about all the changes that we’ve made,” she said. “They seem very happy with what we’re doing and happy that we’re back.”
There’s a similar scenario at non-dining food establishments as well, like at Casse Croûte du Village chip stand in Quyon.
“It’s pretty surprising how good people are,” said Robert Pilon, the owner. “From the start, they’re keeping their distance and they’re respectful.”
According to him, the chip stand has two cooks and a third worker that handles the money, so that germs are not transmitted to the food. Everyone uses hand sanitizer and a plexiglass was also installed as an extra health safety measure.
“We always have hand sanitizer close to the cash in case somebody wants some,” said Pilon.
Some of the cleanliness measures have been a habit since before the pandemic.
“We’re always washing hands,” said Pilon. “It’s always been like that.”
Despite the benefits offered by the government, all of Pilon’s staff have stayed to help him during this time, which he says is very nice of them.
Since last Monday, the chip stand has allowed customers to sit at their tables, though there are four tables out now instead of the usual six.
In terms of ingredients, beef is a challenge to come by for the stand since the industries are not operating at full capacity, according to Pilon. They have, however, been able to acquire it through searching for different suppliers.
“You always have to stay ahead of the game,” said Pilon. “It’s getting better, but you still have to contact a couple of different suppliers.”
Their schedule, however, is back to normal and consistent unlike the beef suppliers.
“We were open 12 to seven there for a couple of months, but we came back to regular hours,” said Pilon.
