‘Love us or hate us, this is our decision’: Collingwood eatery not taking reservations from customers in COVID-19 hot spots

COVID-19 cases are on the rise, especially in areas such as Toronto and Peel Region, and this is causing concerns for business owners in south Georgian Bay.

As Collingwood is a destination for many from the Greater Toronto Area, one local restaurant has changed its COVID-19 policies in hopes of reducing the spread.

The Curly Willow, a restaurant located on Pine Street, recently announced on social media it would no longer accept reservations from customers from Toronto, Peel, York and Hamilton, and “proof of residency will now be required.”

According to a second social-media post, a recent interaction opened the eyes of owners Linda and Mike Sloat.

“While visiting one of our other local restaurants, we discussed this with our server, who set us straight. In the middle of eating their lunch, a table confessed that they were from Peel,” she said. “With everything closed there, they came to Collingwood for lunch.

“For the 99 per cent of people and businesses complying with protocols, there will unfortunately be those, for whatever reason, that will not. It was then and there that we decided that we needed to do more. Love us or hate us, this is our decision.”

The couple felt some complacency was setting in because Collingwood hasn’t seen as many cases as other regions. However, they felt it was an important step to keep the community safe.

Linda said some servers are wearing goggles to protect themselves so people can have the “luxury” of eating out.

“We are a local’s destination and that’s who we’re trying to protect,” Linda said. “These are the people who have kept our doors open. We can’t afford to put our staff and our clients in harm’s way. We’re not being anti-Toronto, we’re not being discriminatory, it’s a health and safety issue.”

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