Saskatoon servers say fear is up, money is down as COVID-19 numbers grow

Saskatoon had 859 known active cases of COVID-19 Monday and while restaurants remain open, servers say fewer people are dining in and unease is growing among staff. 

"We do our best to be accommodating and be happy and be cheerful, but there's always just that underlying fear that makes it hard to be entertaining," said Danielle DeGuire, who serves at a Riversdale restaurant. 

She said the number of people physically coming into the restaurant has dwindled as cases surge. Less customers means less tips for workers. She said some of her coworkers aren't making enough in tips to cover parking.

"It's pretty tough out there. The few people that come in, we're very grateful for, but it's a roller coaster," she said. "Every once in a while we do get busy and we're like is this good? Is this bad? You're constantly weighing pros and cons of the busyness."

She wants things to get back to normal — or at least to how they were when numbers were low and people felt more comfortable — as fast as they can. 

"I realize a lockdown can be devastating for certain people," she said. "We 100 per cent would need subsidies or that would be the death of certain restaurants, certain friends of mine would not come back to a job." 

DeGuire said many servers can't survive off of the small number of people who are willing to dine out right now. 

"We're kind of being bled dry right now, so I think the faster there's some action taken, the faster we can get through that, the faster we can get back to some kind of normal."

Server Gabriella Fourie said she's already experiencing financial strain and a lockdown without supports would make that even worse.

"Basically I would just be living off only student loans and just barely," said Fourie, who works at the Yard and Flagon in the Broadway neighborhood. 

Fourie said increased restrictions that include restaurant closures would take a toll on her mental health because of the money and the socialization. 

"Work is the only way I am somewhat physically socializing with people," she said. "I can actually see people and hear them laugh at my bad jokes." 

She agreed that rising case numbers in the city are causing comfort levels at work to drop. 

"With the recent extreme rise in cases, that anxiety for potential exposure to COVID has definitely increased." 

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