Photo: Darren Handschuh

James Fradley

You can make the most of a bad situation or wallow in misery, so some Vernon restaurants have embraced the silver lining behind the dark cloud of COVID.

Government-imposed restrictions and shutdowns have hit the service industry hard.

But, James Fradley, who owns The Med Restaurant in Vernon's downtown core, says while times have been tough, new opportunities have also opened up.

Revenue has fallen dramatically, but “it's been an opportunity for us to totally rethink how we do our business and how we operate,” says Fradley. “The old expression is desperation breeds innovation, and when you can't operate normally, you look for ways to operate within the new parameters.”

Along with the traditional take-out platform, the restaurant introduced the Med Express, an online retail product with a heat-and-serve format.

“That was a great opportunity to expand our business into a new line of revenue. On top of that, we learned a lot about new food-preparation techniques through the Med Express retail product,” he said.

The Med also took advantage of the shutdown to renovate its kitchen – something that couldn't be done while in full operation.

Meanwhile, Pretium Group CEO Sherman Dahl says adapting to the new way of doing business has been vital for restaurants to survive.

Dahl operates several food businesses in Vernon, including the Italian Kitchen, Top Choice Pizza, and Wings.

Dahl says restaurants that adapted quickly are “getting some very good results. If they hang their head and complain about it and close down early and they are not willing to do what they need to do in a new environment, they are going to suffer.”

Pretium has recently expanded, hiring Leah Dickinson as manager of corporate development, marketing and special events.

“Our phone has been ringing off the hook. Businesses that want to work harder are reaping the benefits,” said Dahl, adding demand is “also quite strong” as people want to get out of their homes, shake off the shutdown blues and have a nice meal out.

Once things get closer to a pre-COVID normal, restaurants that have launched alternative ways of doing business will still have those revenue streams as well as the more traditional sit-down diners, he adds.