Despite the global pandemic, Rasa found success last year thanks to a thriving takeout business, street-side patio and some extra creativity. But 2021 has been far from a smooth ride. Stagnating takeout orders, frustrating—and inconsistent—regulations and pervasive Covid fatigue have taken their toll on the Food Dudes’ crown jewel. Here, Adrian Niman, the company’s executive chef, explains why they decided to shut the business down for 28 days during the third lockdown, and what he expects from the rest of the year.
—As told to Jacob Rutka
“Looking back, we were actually lucky during the early days of the pandemic. Rasa opened for takeout right away—even though we’d never done takeout before—when a lot of our favourite restaurants in the city had completely shut down for health and safety reasons, or to take a break and wait to see what would come next.