I want to make one thing clear about Burnaby businesses.
They are hurting. They are hurting bad. Many of them have lost huge amounts of revenue from having to close or from having their customer base disappear even while still being open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So complaining about something like the size of food portions while a restaurant is struggling seems like a terrible thing to do.
But people are doing it.
On Saturday, I wrote about Burnaby’s Anton’s Pasta staying open for takeout only and discussed the decisions restaurants have to make during this perilous time. I referenced the long history Anton’s has as the place with the “enormous portions” for its diners.
This blog was the most-read blog I’ve had in several months and generally the comments were positive about how good it is to see a Burnaby business making things work during a pandemic.
Sadly, several people decided to actually take the time to email me and whine about how they didn’t think Anton’s portions were as “enormous” as they used to be before the pandemic.
You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
Whether it’s true or not, I don’t care. I saw people picking up their orders the other day and it looked like a full meal to me.
I've had a few other messages from some Burnaby residents complaining about other restaurants being too slow with service.
Imagine whining about a restaurant that is trying to hang on as they see a pandemic keep many of their customers at home. Imagine how clueless and insensitive you have to be to the plight of a restaurant owner to be this petty and entitled.
Restaurants are a tough business to be in during the BEST OF TIMES – let alone a pandemic - so maybe just pump the brakes on your complaining for a few minutes.
Support your local businesses. Tip well. And remember that many of them are hanging on for dear life.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
