[GTA] Asialicious Festival - Feb 14th to Feb 28th

https://globalnews.ca/news/6512223/asia ... o-markham/

Asialicious’ festival coming to Markham amid coronavirus fears, declining business

BY ALBERT DELITALA GLOBAL NEWS
Posted February 5, 2020 6:37 pm

https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/5c19ada0 ... wsource=em

WATCH: Businesses in Markham’s sizeable Chinese-Canadian community are seeing a drop in business due to fears over novel coronavirus. As Matthew Bingley reports, even the largest specialty supermarket isn’t immune from social media rumours.

A two-week Asian food festival is set to launch in Markham as many businesses have reported a drop in sales due to fears around the new coronavirus.

Asialicious, beginning Feb. 14, aims to boost sales at restaurants and stores that have seen a slump in business, in part because of rumours and misconceptions about the virus, Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti told Global News.

Despite the World Health Organization’s declaration of a world health emergency, officials in Canada have said the risk to Canadians remains low.

“What we are really seeing is people reacting out of fear versus the facts, and this is an opportunity for us to tell people they have nothing to be afraid of,” Scarpitti said.

The plan is welcome news to Mark Ma, whose family owns Grandma’s Home, a local restaurant. He said business is usually better around Lunar New Year, blaming coronavirus overreaction for the downturn.

“People are kind of scared — like, hiding at home,” he said.

As fears surrounding the virus have spread, some businesses have reported losses of between 20 and 90 per cent said Ken Ng, chair of the Federation of Chinese Canadians in Markham.

“That will have a lot of impact in terms of the workers not working [their typical] hours,” he explained.
“At the same time, all the supply chains that comes around as well — from the delivery to the food supply to the groceries — all of those will downturn if we don’t turn it around.

He credited the success of Markham’s Taste of Asia street festival, launched during the SARS crisis of 2003, with boosting the local economy and bringing the community together.

“This is an opportunity for us to do something for the economy to help the business rebound again and, at the same time, to encourage other people to get together, to work together for betterment,” he said.

About 50 restaurant owners have already joined the initiative, Catherine Hou, president of the Chinese Cuisine and Hospitality Association of Canada, told Global News.

“The revenue is going down. I feel the pain. I feel the loss. I also feel people’s depressions from our members,” she said.

“We want to turn this time into an opportunity time.”

Organizers of Asialicious plan to launch a website with more information in the coming days.

You going?

Pochacco wrote: ↑ https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1892880

Cheapo-Findo wrote: ↑ You going?

Sure.. let's go

ok, where we meeting?

Pochacco wrote: ↑ Sure.. let's go

Cheapo-Findo wrote: ↑ ok, where we meeting?

let's decide when the restaurants list are out

Why so secretive about location?

S14_Raven wrote: ↑ Why so secretive about location?

I don't think Asianlicious organization has finalised the list yet .. still in talk with restaurants?? maybe??

Ok Bobette.

Pochacco wrote: ↑ let's decide when the restaurants list are out

Good luck everybody!

This looks like something Frank made up on the spot to try to court the Chinese vote.

This is a good thing and an opportunity to help stand against racism against these chinese restaurants. That's what I'll tell my GF, I really just want to go eat some good chinese food lol.

CardinalComb wrote: ↑ This is a good thing and an opportunity to help stand against racism against these chinese restaurants. That's what I'll tell my GF, I really just want to go eat some good chinese food lol.

While that is definitely an issue, if anything it seems like it's more like Chinese people boycotting Chinese places because due fear of the coronavirus. But you don't see the mainstream media talking about that one.

It's Feb 10th and there's no list of restaurants participating....

More participants restaurants:

Deals are up now

https://asialiciousfest.com/deals/

only restaurant that i would consider so far is the kung fu fish offering 34% off.
everything else is not offering anything to consider in my opinion.