After two years of stress, Montreal restaurateurs and staff quietly face heavy psychological toll
For the last 20 years, restaurant owner and chef Pablo Rojas has carved out an impressive career.
A certain saying summed it up, he said: “Do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life."
Or at least “it was like that until the pandemic hit,” he said.
Quebec will be reopening restaurants at half capacity -- again -- on Monday. But the long-term psychological toll of uncertainty and stress over the last two years has already done damage to many in the industry that will be hard to undo anytime soon.
Rojas says the pandemic has forced him to close two of his four restaurants. Still open are Le Petit Italien and Provisions butcher shop in Outremont.
Despite a successful career, even he is wondering if it’s all worth it.
“Even me, I’m starting to think what’s going to be my future for the next two, three, four years,” Rojas said.
In a recent Instagram post, Rojas tried to convey just how difficult the pandemic has been and the mental health toll it has on restaurant workers.
“I’ve seen firsthand the effect all of this is having on the mental health of my team,” Rojas wrote. “People who have been with me for years talking about suicide because there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”
For much of the pandemic, Nicole Turcotte’s dining room at Dinette Triple Crown has been closed. She’s decided take-out is the safest option to prevent any spread of COVID-19.
“For the most part, I would say that people are in survival mode,” Turcotte said.
She says staff are afraid after two years of financial instability.
“It feels like we’re on a little boat floating in the ocean and it’s been battered, but it’s still floating,” Turcotte said. “It does feel like one or two more waves cross the bow and we’re all going to bail out.”
Psychologist Dr. Syd Miller says several of his clients work in the restaurant industry. Many are more anxious than they were when the pandemic first started.
“What they’re telling me is they don’t know how much longer they can hold on," Miller said. "Hold on financially, hold on emotionally."
He says it’s not easy for someone to change careers. For many, restaurants are part of their identity and in some cases have been passed down through families.
“I’m already hearing it from some of my clients, they’re starting to think what’s the next step in terms of career or in terms of how I do this business,” Miller said.
A 50-per-cent capacity limit won’t be profitable for Rojas, but he’s just happy for his staff, who will get back to work and find their old routine.
“People that are ready to give up, people that are isolated going into work -- you don’t realize how much it’s important for you,” Rojas said.
“When you have nothing to do anymore, when you don’t need to go out, I mean, it is hard.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
BREAKING 1 dead in rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont.; 5 others injured
Ontario Provincial Police confirm one person has died after a single-vehicle rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont. that seriously injured five others.
'Nobody should be getting away with murder': Grieving mother speaks out after son killed in North Preston, N.S.
A grieving mother is speaking out after her 36-year-old son was shot and killed in North Preston, N.S., Wednesday night.