Vancouver restaurants flooded after plummeting temperatures freeze pipes
Posted January 15, 2024 2:50 pm.
Last Updated January 15, 2024 8:24 pm.
January is already a difficult time for many in the service industry, as patrons cut back on spending after the holidays. But the recent frigid temperatures that gripped Metro Vancouver have brought additional challenges to some restaurants that were flooded by failing pipes during the cold snap.
Mezcaleria on Commercial Drive was among the businesses that had to shutter after sub-zero temperatures wreaked havoc on old plumbing systems.
Co-owner Ignacio Arrieta tells CityNews water started coming in through the walls and ceiling on Saturday, flooding the restaurant in just minutes.
He says he was able to call in a contractor as soon as his staff called to report what had happened, describing a chaotic scene as they tried to get a handle on the pipes that were failing before their eyes.
“We were able to stop the flooding Saturday night, and then Sunday we tried to fix the piping, we were ready, up and running, ready to start again service in the morning, but then we had another major pipe [break], so we didn’t open for service yesterday,” Arrieta recalled Monday.
Whether or not Mezcaleria would open for business Monday was still up in the air as of noon that day, as employees worked to clean the restaurant.
Another day of closure would be detrimental to the eatery, Arrieta noted, as well as the people it employs.
“It’s definitely a struggle. It’s hard, especially at the beginning of January. Overall, last year wasn’t the best year for many restaurants — sales were down, costs went up, so we were just trying to navigate those challenges and hoping that this year would be better,” he said.
Arrieta adds while this year started off strong, these unexpected closures — and lost revenue — are adding to concerns.
“It impacts the business, the owners, and also the employees. We’re all in the same hustle … we all need to generate income, somehow.”
Just down the street from Mezcaleria, St. Augustine’s pub was also forced to close due to failing pipes.
Like many other eateries, the floods come at a difficult time for this restaurant.
“We came off of Christmas kind of strong but now, January’s kind of slow because of everyone’s credit cards, right?” said Herman Wong, head chef of St. Augustine’s.
He notes the business’ 40 to 50 employees aren’t getting to work right now because of the flood-related closures.
“It hurts pretty bad,” Wong told CityNews.
The pipes that burst are in the ceiling, he explains. According to Wong, most of the damage was in the kitchen, particularly the walk-in cooler.
“Everything has to be thrown out. Our cooler runs from cold water, so we had to shut off the main cold water line so the whole cooler’s warm,” he said.
“It’s never been this cold. It was like -14, there was nothing we could have really done, right? The pipes just froze and burst overnight.”
Despite the weather warming slightly, Wong said that some of the pipes were still frozen Monday, delaying repairs.
He’s hoping the restaurant will be back up and running later this week, depending on when they can get crews in.
