Patio season starts today in Waterloo region and Guelph

Starting today, people in Waterloo region and Guelph can once again sip a cold drink outside as bars and restaurants reopen their patios.  

The province's Stage 2 reopening plan allows patios, hair salons, splash pads and campsites in certain parts of the province to reopen. Waterloo region and Wellington County both made the cut, although one epidemiologist told CBC News he doesn't think Kitchener-Waterloo is ready yet.

For Ryan Lloyd-Craig, co-owner of the Ignite Restaurant Group, reopening the patio at Kitchener's Graffiti Market means limiting capacity to 48 people at a time. That's about half the number of people the patio would typically hold, he said.

And the people who do grab a spot on the patio will have to stay put – no table-hopping this year, he said.

"We won't allow people to move chairs and things of that nature, so we really have to be vigilant in that regard," said Lloyd-Craig.

'Make up ground that we lost'

Restaurant staff will wear masks and Lloyd-Craig said hand sanitizer will flow freely. Staff will also gather customers' contact information for contact tracing in the event that someone winds up testing positive, he said.

Lloyd-Craig said reopening will help his business start to recover, but he said restaurant owners aren't out of the woods yet.

"We're still trying to make up ground that we lost for the past almost three months," he said.

Not all patios will reopen today. For owners of some smaller patios, such as Rhapsody Barrel Bar, the restrictions that will be in place mean reopening may not be worth the cost.

"Our operational costs far exceed the revenues that could be generated," wrote owner Tammy Lawrence on social media.

Lawrence added that her bar will likely wait until it's possible to host live music.

"I'm heartbroken for my staff, musicians and this community. If your brand is anything to do with music, arts and culture it really doesn't look promising for the near future," she wrote.

For customers who plan to visit a patio this weekend, public health says to wear a mask, wash hands frequently and stay two metres away from others.