This from the good folks at @menumagca, with another story of successful reinvention in the age of COVID-19.

With the onset of the pandemic, Chef Michael Thompson (@chefthompson28) took his destiny into his own hands. When his former employer, The Tremont Cafe in Collingwood, ON was affected by COVID-19 safety restrictions, Thompson returned to his family’s farm and began to draw up plans for a new business. On the heels of 11 years in the foodservice industry at establishments from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, Thompson briefly hung up his sous-chef hat to work on his family’s farm and the largest duck operation in Canada, King Cole Ducks.

“I was happy to help during a difficult time but I wanted to get back to focusing on my passion. A friend suggested a food truck and the idea stuck.”

Then, his @_6ft_apart food truck came alive.

When Thompson mentioned his business idea to people, they all assumed he planned to serve burgers and French fries. However, he had a much different cuisine in mind. Thompson wanted to continue doing what he does best – prepare fine dining meals in a fun and approachable food-truck style.

“During COVID, I don’t want to yell out names and have groups standing around.” To avoid this issue, Thompson designed his entire menu around execution. The dishes are complex and take hours of prep in his commercial kitchen, but he executes them off the truck in minutes. He also creates custom menus for special occasions, such as staff appreciation events and weddings.

His specialty is private dinner parties where he pulls his truck right up to the front door and executes a six to eight-course dinner with wine pairings, creating a very unique dining experience.

Like many entrepreneurs during this time, Thompson was apprehensive of consumer perception and acceptance during COVID-19. Despite his worst fears, “my business has been non-stop since the day I started serving back in June 2020.”

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IT’S AN ALL-STAR FRIED-CHICKEN TEAM-UP FOR THE AGES!

Check out this can’t-miss JUKE’N ON THE DL team-up that pairs Vancouver fried-chicken faves @jukefriedchicken and @dlchicken for an exclusive three-day collaboration at @steelandoak Friday, July 9 through Sunday, July 11!

The collab menu features an exclusive Juke’N on the DL Chicken Sando (Juke gluten-free Rossdown Farms boneless chicken thigh, Juke BBQ sauce, DL spice or Juke Spicy Boyz sauce, DL slaw and pickles, Livia potato bun), as well as Boneless Thighs by the Piece, three different summertime sides, and a lineup of refreshing craft brews from Steel & Oak.

Pop-up hours: Friday, July 9 from 3 - 8 pm, Saturday, July 10 from 12 - 8 pm and Sunday, July 11 from 12 - 4 pm or until sold out.

📷: @therichwon

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Some great news for businesses around BC, as the province just announced that it will be advancing to ‘Step 3’ of its four-phase ‘Restart Plan’ on July 1.

As @viawesome Managing Editor Lindsay William-Ross explained in her coverage of the press conference announcing the Step 3 details, “there will be no provincial public health orders restricting how many people may be seated in a party at all restaurants, pubs, and bars,” which marks a change in restrictions first put in place over a year ago.

The cap on group seating at restaurants was first implemented in the province back in May 2020, when businesses were permitted to re-open following a full ban on indoor dining implemented two months prior at the onset of the pandemic in BC. While in Step 2, which began June 15, public health orders were amended to allow liquor sales at restaurants to go until midnight, Step 3 removes all restrictions and returns liquor sales to normal for licensed B.C. establishments.

During Step 3, businesses will gradually transition to new communicable disease plans, with guidelines for these plans released by WorkSafeBC on June 28, according to the B.C. government.

Not changing will be the restrictions on socializing between tables, which will also be a rule for nightclubs, which will be able to re-open, with seated parties of up to 10 permitted as of July 1. Henry says details of what will be permitted has been discussed among leaders in the sector, and will include things like distancing measures and barriers.

We’re not out of the woods yet, but some very welcome news for small and independent business owners around BC.

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