A local business' future is clouded with uncertainty after a lengthy battle with pandemic restrictions. (Elliott Knopp/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Elliott Knopp

COVID Affecting Business

Local business owner facing difficult upcoming decision

Oct 26, 2021 | 6:37 PM

A Meadow Lake business owner said the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing her to make a difficult decision about the future of her popular restaurant.

Eatery on Main is one of the city’s most notable dining establishments. When Kassidy Dunsing first purchased it, she managed to bring her vision for the business to life by transforming it into a pub-style restaurant.

“We were open till 10 o’clock at night. We did table service, we had an appetizer menu and a cocktail menu. Leopold’s Tavern is what I really wanted us to strive for, and we hit that,” Dunsing told meadowlakeNOW.

But after more than a year of uncertainty and unpredictability brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunsing said its taken a toll on her business, her mental health and her passion.

“I’m running a business that my heart is just not in. My heart was in the table service and dining experience and we can’t do that anymore.”

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Dunsing said the aftermath of having to temporarily close the doors like other non-essential businesses at the beginning of the pandemic and then having to follow through with what she called constantly changing public health guidelines has worn down her patience.

“Whether it’s the staff, the community, my business, fellow business owners in town, they’re definitely going to see that my drive and passion for this sort of stuff that I love so much isn’t there as much because I’m not getting to do the business that I originally wanted and bought into.”

All of those compounding factors resulted in Dunsing putting Eatery on Main up for sale nearly a year ago. Now the pandemic is impacting that decision as well.

“It’s been public knowledge that I’ve been looking to find the right person to pass it on to,” Dunsing said. “I think I probably couldn’t pick a worse time to try and sell, to be honest.”

The current state of the economy hasn’t provided an optimal opportunity to facilitate a sale. During the pandemic, restaurants and the service industry have seen a weakened work force and a decline in revenue.

Meadow Lake Mayor Merlin Seymour acknowledges the challenges businesses are facing, adding the unfortunate possibility of losing local companies paints a bleak future when it comes to the city’s economy.

“Its definitely a hit to the community,” Seymour said. “I know they are struggling. It’s been a challenge for a while and hopefully everyone can work through it.”

Dunsing doesn’t want to say goodbye to her restaurant at all, but feels her options are few. She’d prefer to sell it instead of closing it all together.

“I don’t like to think about it,” she said.

“Every ounce of me has been broken down by COVID and I’m at the point where I don’t think I can recover. It’s not good for the Eatery, and I don’t think there is a bright future come the new year if there isn’t a new owner in here soon.”

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp