Nord Bistro: A Family Run Restaurant Adapts Through a Crisis
It’s been about 5 weeks since the Medical Officers of Health recommended the closure of restaurants, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Nowhere have the financial pressures of running a small business in the time of Covid-19 been more palpable than in the restaurant industry; where restaurateurs like Bart and Lara Pocock have had to scramble to retool their businesses in order to survive. The husband and wife are the owners of local neighbourhood favourite Nord Bistro, which has swiftly transitioned from sit down dining hub, to takeout and pickup kitchen. Progressing in an industry where you’re often working now, to pay for what you needed yesterday, is already taxing. Locking the doors of your business during a global pandemic while still paying your hydro, insurance (which ironically offers no pandemic coverage to restaurants), food suppliers, and linens, requires either very deep pockets, or an ability to adapt. “We also have kids and a mortgage of our own, which we haven’t deferred,” Lara adds.
“We initially had thoughts of shutting everything down when it happened, but decided to keep going out of an obligation to pay the staff we had to lay off; we took a substantial cut to our own pay so we could cover our last employee payroll.”
- Lara Pocock (Manager of Operations and Co-Owner)
Bouillabaisse with mussels, shrimp & calamari
Thanks to their quick pivot to takeout, and the tender mercies of an understanding landlord willing to work with them on their commercial rent, the couple are managing to stay afloat; although unsure of how long they can keep their heads above water. They’ve applied for the government wage subsidy (CEWS) which provides a 75% wage subsidy to employers for up to 12 weeks. “Unfortunately, the subsidy only covered up to 10% originally, which made it impossible for us to keep all our staff,” Bart remarks. They’re now enduring a long wait to gain access to those funds. They hope to hire their staff back.
The couple applied for the Canada Emergency Business Loan (CEBA) but were informed by their bank they were ineligible. After being unable to provide any further information, the bank referred the Pocock’s to the government of Canada website, where they realized there was no direct contact number for CEBA info; just a general email from which (at the time of this writing) they’re still waiting to receive a reply. As far as the Pocock’s are concerned, the conversation should be about grants, not loans. “If all we’re offered is a loan, how will we pay it back?” asks Lara. “We’d never recoup our losses.”
Fresh Pappardelle with shredded Brome lake duck
Partners in life, and in business, Lara and Bart work as a team to coordinate pick up orders and food preparation between each other, after going from a staff of 5, to 2. The duo are responsible for cooking, setting up pick up times, pre-arranging credit card orders, and either walking to their customer’s vehicles for curbside drop offs, or driving for the occasional door drop home delivery. They don’t work with many food delivery apps, believing the 25-30% taken by most of them is too big a fee. Even so, as another example of adapting to the times, they’ve partnered with SkipTheDishes for the sake of customer convenience. In this new normal, food suppliers are nixed from the equation; preferring instead to support their local markets. “It allows us to control food costs and ensure the freshness of our produce,” remarks Bart.
FB Messenger capture of the Pocock’s
“The generosity of our patrons who genuinely seem to care for our wellbeing, thank us when they order, and even willingly tip us when they don’t have to, make us feel like we could be one of the survivors of this; this restaurant gives us a sense of purpose.”
- Bart Pocock (Head Chef and Co-Owner at Nord Bistro)
With mammoth chains challenging the existence of neighbourhood gems like Nord, the continued loyalty of their patrons shows the bistro isn't just another place to grab dinner before a show. Nord Bistro is a valued meeting place for the community they serve, and the Pocock’s are embraced as a part of that community. Not just because of the stellar food, but because they’re a comforting reminder of a potential return to normalcy at a time that feels anything but.
Nord Bistro
If you’re in the area, you can order by phone or online:
406 Dupont (Between Bathurst & Spadina)
Phone: 416-925-6673
Online: Skip The Dishes
Written by Byron Armstrong
Byron Armstrong is a writer living in Toronto, Canada who has been published online and in print, for both local and national publications. He writes short and longform essays, reviews, in-depth profiles, and interviews. His writing focuses on the intersection between art, society, and politics. A link to all his published work can be found on his website.