Restaurant operators in British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 southern Interior are scrambling after flooding and landslides closed highways and rail lines, cutting businesses off from the supply chains they rely on.

It香蕉视频直播檚 the latest hurdle after 20 months of struggles through the COVID-19 pandemic and a summer of smoky skies from wildfires that wiped out tourism.

香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 actually have more to give in this scenario,香蕉视频直播� said Brandon Loughery, managing partner of Woodsman Group, which operates two pubs around Kelowna and a seasonal restaurant at the SilverStar Mountain ski resort in Vernon.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e already operating on razor thin margins,香蕉视频直播� he said in an interview.

They香蕉视频直播檝e been getting ready to open the restaurant for the winter season, but in the aftermath of the flooding, they can香蕉视频直播檛 order what they need in bulk, Loughery said.

The two pubs in Kelowna rely on deliveries every three days, and with none in sight, Loughery said he expects they won香蕉视频直播檛 have enough food supplies by Monday.

They香蕉视频直播檝e been shopping at grocery stores, trying to keep the doors open. But that香蕉视频直播檚 costly for a restaurant, and while the shelves were a bit fuller by Thursday, there was little meat, milk, eggs or other produce to be found earlier in the week, he said.

Every major route connecting B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 Interior with the Lower Mainland was severed by floods, mudslides or washouts after the southern part of the province was hammered by record rainfall.

If such debilitating supply challenges were to last for a month or more, Loughery speculated that some restaurants in the Interior would have to close their doors.

香蕉视频直播淚f you don香蕉视频直播檛 hit your base number to cover your fixed costs, it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 take long for things to go backwards.香蕉视频直播�

Goods should start flowing again as some highways are reopened and alternative routes established, but it will be a stressful couple of weeks for the industry, said Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association.

香蕉视频直播淚t could take 10 to 20 days to sort out the logistics of new routes,香蕉视频直播� Tostenson said, noting trucks usually travel to the Interior every day along the Coquihalla Highway, which is completely washed out and requires extensive repairs.

In the meantime, he said, restaurants in the Okanagan Valley area closing.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 not a lot of storage of products in the Interior, because mainly they just rely on overnight shipment from the Lower Mainland, so it香蕉视频直播檚 a real challenge,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Supply was still flowing from Alberta to northern B.C., Tostenson noted.

Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth told a news conference this week that 香蕉视频直播渙ur transportation infrastructure is crippled,香蕉视频直播� though he also said there are many parts of the province where routes are not compromised. The Retail Council of Canada and the trucking industry have been clear that 香蕉视频直播渢here香蕉视频直播檚 lots of supply,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Mark von Schellwitz, western vice president for Restaurants Canada, said the disastrous flooding is yet another blow for an industry that香蕉视频直播檚 been contending with the impacts of the pandemic, wildfires and 香蕉视频直播渞ampant香蕉视频直播� inflation in food prices.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 tell you the number of operators I香蕉视频直播檝e talked to that are exasperated, just saying what else can possibly be thrown at us, it seems like everything香蕉视频直播檚 conspiring against them trying to survive as a business,香蕉视频直播� von Schellwitz said in an interview.

Loughery, too, said he香蕉视频直播檚 seen some food costs more than double in the last year and he香蕉视频直播檚 concerned the flooding in prime agricultural land will drive them up further.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 always a reason. It香蕉视频直播檚 because of the fires, it香蕉视频直播檚 because of the pandemic, now it will be because of the flooding. I haven香蕉视频直播檛 seen food prices this high, ever,香蕉视频直播� Loughery said, adding he香蕉视频直播檚 had to switch products he香蕉视频直播檚 used for years 香蕉视频直播渂ecause they香蕉视频直播檙e just not in the realm of possibility of what a customer will pay for.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� By Brenna Owen. THE CANADIAN PRESS