Hector De Divitiis and his family have been involved in the Thorold hospitality industry for forty years. When the pandemic broke out it was a real blow to the family’s different business ventures, such as night club The Moose and Goose and wedding hall Amici’s.
Says Hector De Divitiis, “You would think that we were very diversified with a wedding hall, apartment building, night club and restaurant. Unfortunately, as diversified as we were, they all got affected.”
All the different businesses in the De Divitiis family had to pivot in some way to survive.
For instance, Amici’s Banquet Hall started an online meal ordering service.
Says De Divitiis, “At Amici’s 100 percent the local community got us through the year. We had a lot of loyal people that live in Thorold and without them I don’t know how we would have made it. It was very supportive, very helpful.”
Night club The Moose and Goose, on the other hand, had to close their doors for most of the year. Says De Divitiis, “With the regulations as a guide it’s really difficult. We’re not really set up as a restaurant. The Moose and Goose is a different kind of venue, so we had to wait it out. ”
With restrictions easing De Divitiis says he hopes that The Moose and Goose can re-open sometime soon.
“We’re going to start and get ready for September. Our hope is that we are going forward. It’s been a struggle for the hospitality industry for sure, with a lot of regulations (and) a lot of stipulations. It’s not going to be easy, but being an entrepreneur is never easy.”
De Divitiis thinks that the only way out of the pandemic is if we come together as a community.
Says De Divitiis, “I believe personally that we all have to work together to get through this. It can’t be one person caring about their own interests. I think if Covid showed anything, it showed that we have to work together as a society or we will fall as a society.”
But De Divitiis says he’s hopeful there are better days ahead. “At the end of the day it’s all about family. That’s all that matters. We’re going forward and things are going to get better.”