'People seem to want to get out and spoil themselves' Windsor bar owner thrilled to be busy
With lockdowns behind them, the owner of a Windsor bar is excited for what the future holds.
Mark Dutka, owner of Maiden Lane Wine & Spirts, admits the pandemic was “scary.”
“We opened our business and less than a year later we were shut down. This is how we feed our family,” Dutka says.
Maiden Lane Wine & Spirits creates unique cocktails and drinks from a vast and in some cases, rare, selection of alcohol from around the world.
Dutka says they “pivoted” to cocktail deliveries, expanded their patio and opened a rare wine bottle shop at their downtown Windsor bar.
They don’t have to deliver anymore, because the customers are coming to them now and keeping the staff busy.
“People seem to want to get out and spoil themselves a little bit and have us take care of them, and have us make them drinks instead of making their drinks at home.”
A surge in business is something the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association has noticed as well, according to Chair Brian Yeomans.
“They’re saying they’re seeing people from out of town that are starting to come back in again,” he says.
Yet Yeomans notes locals are still enjoying their city.
“This is how we prove how important local shopping is,” says Yeomans.
“When you survive a pandemic for 16 months, because of that local support, if we continue that, in addition to the tourism, I’m so excited to see that.”
And there’s more hope on the horizon as the Canadian land border will reopen to vaccinated Americans on Aug. 15.
“Once that border opens, I anticipate a real up-turn in our business,” says Tom O’Brien, owner of Coopers Hawk Vineyards in Essex.
O’Brien says before the pandemic, 18 per cent of their business was to American customers, either buying wine or enjoying at meal at their on-site restaurant.
“We’re going to have a good tourism season I think.” says O’Brien.
“I think people want to get out. I think they want to go someplace safe, they want to feel spacious and comfortable.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winning $70 million Lotto Max ticket sold in Toronto
A winning Lotto Max ticket was sold in Toronto from last night's draw.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Moscow says 50 Ukrainian drones shot down as attacks spark fires at Russian power stations
Ukraine launched a barrage of drones across Russia overnight, the Defence Ministry in Moscow said Saturday, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.