Restaurant operators in British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 southern Interior are scrambling after flooding and landslides closed highways and rail lines, cutting businesses off from the supply chains they rely on.

It91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 actually have more to give in this scenario,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e already operating on razor thin margins,91裸聊视频� he said in an interview.

They91裸聊视频檝e been getting ready to open the restaurant for the winter season, but in the aftermath of the flooding, they can91裸聊视频檛 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 won91裸聊视频檛 have enough food supplies by Monday.

They91裸聊视频檝e been shopping at grocery stores, trying to keep the doors open. But that91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚f you don91裸聊视频檛 hit your base number to cover your fixed costs, it doesn91裸聊视频檛 take long for things to go backwards.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚t could take 10 to 20 days to sort out the logistics of new routes,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 not a lot of storage of products in the Interior, because mainly they just rely on overnight shipment from the Lower Mainland, so it91裸聊视频檚 a real challenge,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渙ur transportation infrastructure is crippled,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渢here91裸聊视频檚 lots of supply,91裸聊视频� he said.

Mark von Schellwitz, western vice president for Restaurants Canada, said the disastrous flooding is yet another blow for an industry that91裸聊视频檚 been contending with the impacts of the pandemic, wildfires and 91裸聊视频渞ampant91裸聊视频� inflation in food prices.

91裸聊视频淚 can91裸聊视频檛 tell you the number of operators I91裸聊视频檝e talked to that are exasperated, just saying what else can possibly be thrown at us, it seems like everything91裸聊视频檚 conspiring against them trying to survive as a business,91裸聊视频� von Schellwitz said in an interview.

Loughery, too, said he91裸聊视频檚 seen some food costs more than double in the last year and he91裸聊视频檚 concerned the flooding in prime agricultural land will drive them up further.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 always a reason. It91裸聊视频檚 because of the fires, it91裸聊视频檚 because of the pandemic, now it will be because of the flooding. I haven91裸聊视频檛 seen food prices this high, ever,91裸聊视频� Loughery said, adding he91裸聊视频檚 had to switch products he91裸聊视频檚 used for years 91裸聊视频渂ecause they91裸聊视频檙e just not in the realm of possibility of what a customer will pay for.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Brenna Owen. THE CANADIAN PRESS