MONTREAL -- The owners of La Cage restaurant chains are laying of 30 per cent of its employees – a cut of more than 650 jobs.

Blaming the COVID-19 pandemic, four La Cage restaurants are already permanently closed, including the one in Old Montreal.

“Just before the crisis we were getting to our best year ever,” said Jean Bedard, the CEO of Group Sportscene.

But he said he’s thinking long-term, which is what businesspeople must do right now to survive past the pandemic.

“I think the companies that are doing the right things today and making tough decisions are probably the ones that will be in a better position when it will start back,” he said.

Another restaurateur in Old Montreal says that area is particularly struggling right now, and not only because of the pandemic. Eric Luksenberg of Chez Eric says that after losing most tourist business this year, construction blocking some of the arteries to the area are also putting off locals from coming there, too.

Watch the video above by Matt Grillo for more details.