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With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, local businesses around Cochrane are having to make the decision to stay open or temporarily shut down their operations until further notice. The Town of Cochrane has come out with a statement banning all events until June 1.
"The Town of Cochrane, in consideration of the growing concerns and rapid changes surrounding COVID-19, has regretfully cancelled all schedule and permitted outdoor community events on Town land until June 1, when the situation will be re-evaluated," the town said in a statement.
"Our priority is to maintain the safety of our community, clients and staff, by minimizing the potential spread of the virus. We continue to follow the protocols and regulations set by government officials and Alberta Health Services, including their direction to cancel social gatherings of 10 or more people. At this time, the town is not cancelling scheduled and permitted future community events beyond June 1, however, this is subject to review."
Here is an update on the entertainment hubs that will close, and ones that will stay open in order to deliver food to the community.
Who's temporarily closed: Half Hitch Brewing Company, The Stump Tavern, PZA Parlour, Original Joe's, The Venue Bar and Grill, The Iron Bridge
As of March 18, Half Hitch Brewing Company, The Stump Tavern, PZA Parlour, Original Joe's, The Venue Bar and Grill and the Iron Bridge have all temporarily closed down. Half Hitch released this statement on the matter.
"We believe that we have become a gathering place for Cochrane, a place that brings neighbours, friends, and visitors together along with our amazing staff. And although we pride ourselves in creating this space, we believe that we need to play our part, and do what we can to protect the vulnerable members of our community and help our friends in the healthcare industry who have a long and challenging road ahead of them. That is why we will be temporarily closing the doors to our restaurant effective immediately. As a small, independent business, this was not an easy decision, but this is the right one."
"We will continue to supply our retailers with HH brew as long as they are able to remain open under provincial and federal health guidelines. So if you see a 6-pack of Farmer's Daughter out there, we'd love the support."
"It's not all bad, we will be rolling out craft beer and food delivery to the Cochrane area soon, so you won't have to wait too long to get your hands on a delicious brisket sandwich. A big thank you to all of you and we look forward to chatting over a pint again soon. Until then, we love you and wash your hands."
Starting on March 20, Half Hitch will be delivering craft beer and food to your doorstep. Visit www.halfhitchbrewing.ca for more information.
The Stump Tavern and PZA Parlour will also be closed until further notice. With that being said, Caffe Mezzo is open and both menus for The Stump and PZA Parlour are available through take out and delivery. They also have frozen meals, fresh and dry pasta and sauces, PZA kits, and sandwiches available for purchase.
Original Joe's in Cochrane has been temporarily closed since St. Patrick's Day.
"We have temporarily closed since this morning," they said through a message to the Eagle. "We will be evaluating the possibility to open delivery and take out depending on guest and employee risk. We want to make sure we do our part in keeping everyone safe during these tough times."
The Venue Bar and Grill will also be shut down until further notice, as they closed at 5 p.m. on March 17. The Iron Bridge will also temporarily be closing its doors.
"This is a rapidly evolving situation with many factors to consider. Up until now, we have taken the decision to follow the guidance of the relevant authorities and have implemented all applicable protocols and adopted capacity restrictions in trying to move things forward. We wanted to protect our staff’s employment for as long as possible, as they all have rent, mortgages, and bills to pay," The Iron Bridge said in a statement.
"We’ve involved them in discussions on the situation, and have tried to keep up to date with guidance being provided by all manner of experts. We also felt that trying to protect some facet of normality in the situation would be something we could offer to the community. However, we are now at the point that we no longer feel it will serve the best interests to remain open at this time, so The Iron Bridge will be closed until further notice."
"We have food prepared for our planned St Patrick’s Day event – this will first be offered to our staff and we will then look to see if we can provide the remainder to community groups in town – please contact us if you know of a group that could benefit. It would need to be picked up from the pub, as we’re not set up to do delivery or off-site catering."
Who's staying open: The Canadian Brewhouse, Cumbrian Arms Pub, Ducks on the Roof
The places that are staying open for the time being will have some new regulations in place to make sure things run as smoothly as possible.
The Cumbrian Arms Pub will be staying open for the time being, but will be working at half capacity from here on out which means they're allowed a maximum of 25 patrons in their restaurant. Ducks on the Roof will be implementing a delivery service and their staff is working around the clock to ensure that every surface is sanitized properly.
The Canadian Brewhouse will be closing its doors to walk-ins, but will still be available at all locations via outside pick up or Skip the Dishes delivery.
Boston Pizza, Texas Gate, and Mr. MIKES were not available for comment at this time.
For up to the minute information and updates on this situation, please visit www.cochranetoday.ca
