"I own three restaurants, a bar and a catering business. And so we thought to ourselves, what are we going to do?" says Joyal. "And then it just sort of morphed into, 'Well, maybe we should be thinking on a bigger level — with all the restaurants."
As the COVID-19 pandemic limits New Year's Eve festivities, restaurants are banding together online in hopes that a "shop local" mentality can save the once-lucrative holiday for eateries.
One online event, Save Hospitality's NYE 2021 Big Night In, has built a database of about two hundred restaurants across the country. The event website has at least one listing for local restaurants in every province and territory.