After two years of the pandemic, office parties are back. As the viruses continue to circulate, are people hesitant to go there?
“That was last night, we went.”
“That’s not my type.”
“I haven’t been in the office for almost two years. My interactions take place online.”
According to the Association Restoration Québec (ARQ), the holiday season will be busy.
“People are there. Notebooks are pretty full for most restaurateurs, so that’s good news,” responds Dominique Tremblay, ARQ’s director of public and government affairs.
However, for some restaurants in Montreal’s Latin Quarter, it’s quite the opposite.
“Compared to previous years, there are significantly fewer reservations. We used to have a lot of groups of 30, 45. Now it’s more groups of 7 or 8 people. There are many cancellations. I imagine inflation is a bit to blame,” says Martin Guimond, owner of Le Saint-Bock.
In fact, inflation appears to be dampening the enthusiasm of revelers. The surge in partying was also an opportunity for Sûreté du Québec to remind people of the importance of staying vigilant about drinking while driving.