The owner of White Spot restaurants says about 3,000 workers have been laid off in the last week because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ron Toigo, who also owns the Vancouver Giants hockey team, echoes other business owners in countless sectors who say the economic effects of COVID-19 will be deeply felt. “Corporately, we’re probably more resilient than the franchisees, but the franchisees are family-owned operations,” Toigo told Global News on Tuesday. “And those are the guys we’re really concerned about.” He said the restaurant industry was already struggling the last few years, and the social-distancing measures and other health orders have made it worse. [ Signup for our Health IQ newsletter for latest coronavirus updates ] White Spot