High school students are learning from home. Their local lunch spot misses them

On a regular weekday morning, Big Bite Pizza and Wings is crowded with students from Sir John A. McDonald High School just across the street. 

The lunch rush typically translates into the sale of about 160 pizza slices a day — a big chunk of the Waterloo, Ont. restaurant's business. 

But around noon on Tuesday, it was empty. 

"Without the school, we definitely struggle," manager John Wang said.

Wang's restaurant isn't the only one in this predicament. At many high schools in the region, there's a nearby pizza place or shawarma shop where students and teachers flock during lunch hour to get a quick bite to eat. 

But with the return of in-person school delayed until at least Jan. 17, these businesses are missing a big chunk of their consumer base. 

Zaia Hermiz is the manager of Foreign Shawarma in Kitchener, about a 10-minute walk from Resurrection Catholic Secondary School. 

"I'm going to lose a lot of money," Hermiz said.

Hermiz' restaurant sells a lot of shawarma poutine to students during their lunch hour. It adds up to about $300 to $400 a day. 

With no students around, Hermiz estimates he's losing about 30 per cent of the restaurant's revenue. 

"We have bills, we have rent to pay, too," he said. "It's really tough."

Steps away from Foreign Shawarma is City Pizza, which also relies heavily on students. 

Owner Sandip Patel bought the restaurant in November. Business was booming during the fall semester, but these days, Patel spends a lot of time behind the counter alone. 

"It's all about the students, this business," Patel said. "Now it's boring time, no one [is] coming here."