Toronto restaurant asking unvaccinated people to sit outside
A Toronto restaurant is requesting that unvaccinated patrons now choose to sit outdoors.
Oakwood Hardware Food & Drink, located at 337 Oakwood Avenue in York, made the announcement on their Instagram account, run by owner and chef Anne Sorrenti, Sunday.
“With the volatility of the weather and our limited capacity to have diners indoors, we ask respectfully that if you are not vaccinated, that you choose outdoor dining when available,” the restaurant’s statement reads.
Ownership is underlining that this is a recommendation and that they will be operating on the honour system.
“Notice that I said choose - this is on an honour system and we would hope that people would understand that the well-being of our staff and clientele combined with the precarious nature of lockdowns have us wary.”
While the business specified that all of their employees are vaccinated, they said the decision is not meant to be a debate on vaccines.
“It is about the fact that since there is no provincially mandated “passport,” each business has to make up [their] own guidelines with regard to vaccinated [and] unvaccinated diners indoors,” the statement reads.
On Tuesday, Toronto city councillor Josh Matlow spoke out on Oakwood Hardware's decision, stating that he was "proud" of them.
"[Oakwood Hardware] is an amazing restaurant in the heart of our Oakwood-Vaughan community. They’re asking those who aren’t vaccinated to dine outside. A gutsy & smart move to protect their customers’ health. I’m proud of them. Their cooking also happens to be so damn good," Matlow wrote on his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Oakwood Hardware is acknowledging that their decision may lose them some customers.
“I do not set these parameters without full awareness that it may impact business adversely with some of you,” the statement reads.
“Be that as it may, we require masks indoors and in public spaces when not eating or drinking, contact tracing, and we expect that these minor asks will make us all a little safer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.