OLDS — Tasty Thai owner-manager Garnet Greipl had a change of heart and decided to keep his restaurant closed to comply with new provincial COVID-19 restrictions.
Greipl owns two Tasty Thai locations – one in Olds and another newly-opened one in Sundre.
When the province first announced that effective April 9 at noon all indoor dining was to cease as part of new pandemic restrictions, he was among several restaurant, bar and lounge owners in Olds and Sundre who had vowed to keep their facilities open in defiance of the restrictions. Greipl said he planned to do so in order to keep their businesses afloat and provide his staff with a living.
However, the night before the new restrictions came into place, he changed his mind.
During an interview with The Albertan, Greipl said that wasn’t an easy decision. But a discussion with his lawyers forced his hand.
He was worried about possibly losing his restaurant and liquor licences if he defied the orders and concerned about what it would cost in legal fees to fight those revocations.
The provincial government announced on April 6 that it was returning to Step 1 of the four-step framework for reopening businesses.
Under Step 1, among other measures, indoor, in-person restaurant, pub, lounge and cafe service is prohibited, while takeout, delivery and patio services are still allowed.
Shortly afterward, on social media, Greipl and several other owners said they planned to stay open in defiance of the orders.
On the evening of April 8, Greipl phoned his approximately 20-member staff in Olds and Sundre and told them he had to lay them off as a result of the latest rules.
He said he was "very depressed, very upset” by the whole thing.
“It’s a matter of the government shutting us down and pulling all our permits and then we go into a legal battle," he said. “And for losing 40 per cent of my business last year I can’t afford to go into a legal fight, so the boys have won.”
“It becomes a legal battle in order to get our licences and permits back, right?
“And with that, nobody can afford the legal fees, you know, at $400 an hour for a lawyer. Small business can’t afford that. The government’s got their own lawyers on our money, right? It’s not very fair,” he said.
The province is said to now be experiencing a third wave of the COVID-19 virus and there’s talk a fourth wave might even occur.
Greipl was asked why the provincial government is taking these measures.
“I have a hard time figuring out this government that works for us, right? They work for us, but they work against us most of the time,” he said.
