541 Eatery and Exchange switches to takeout only over concerns about vaccine passport enforcement

541 Eatery and Exchange says it won't open indoor dining at its Barton Street East restaurant to avoid enforcing Ontario's proof-of-vaccination system.

It's not the first Hamilton business that has made this decision.

But this time, it's for a different reason - vulnerable Hamiltonians, who may be legally barred from entering under the system, even with two doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

In a newsletter this week, the non-profit and pay-it-forward cafe answered their patrons' question about keeping indoor dining closed.

They said the required public health measures for non-essential businesses, including the vaccine passport, don't fit well" for 541, which is located in L8L - Hamilton's FSA (forward sortation area) with the lowest vaccination rate.

The business offers vulnerable Hamiltonians an option to pay for their meals with their buying buttons," whereby paying customers can purchase a button for $1 to help cover the costs of another person's meal. With the vaccine passport mandate, it would most likely exclude these folks who frequent their restaurant due to concerns over not being fully vaccinated, having identification or having a physical copy of a proof of vaccination.

We cannot be 541 and primarily cater to people from other neighbourhoods," they said.

Local social service organizations raised their concerns about how the mandate will affect unhoused Hamiltonians recently, as some don't have proper identification or access to their vaccination records. Without both, Ontario's proof-of-vaccination mandate presents challenges for them, especially as the days grow colder.

If folks cannot produce these documents, 541 would be legally required to refuse these folks entry or risk hefty fines under the Reopening Ontario Act.

The high rate of ID theft in this population was another area of worry for local organizations, and 541 noted it too, along with concerns about the contact tracing bylaw, which requires businesses to track who enters their establishments.

What if you have no fixed address or phone number? Another divide," the newsletter reads.

As vaccination rates increase in the community, they hope to welcome guests back into the eatery, but for now, 541 will stick to takeout only to bridge the divide.

Alessia Passafiume is an intern reporter with The Spectator. Reach her via email: apassafiume@thespec.com