Regatta Day and the George Street Festival: planning a St. John's restaurant's busiest week

For many restaurants and cafés in St. John's, the turn from July to August is the peak of the year. The George Street Festival fills downtown in the evenings, the pedestrian mall on Water Street is in full swing, and then comes Regatta Day, a civic holiday with crowds on the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake. It is a great week to be in the food business, and a hard one to plan.

When are Regatta Day and the George Street Festival?

The Royal St. John's Regatta is held on Quidi Vidi Lake, traditionally on the first Wednesday of August. The City treats it as a holiday (City offices and facilities close, and it is a Shops Closing Holiday), but it depends on the weather: the City's notices say that if the Regatta Committee postpones the event, the holiday arrangements apply to whichever day the Regatta takes place. The date can also move: in 2025 the Regatta was set for Wednesday, July 30, and in 2026 for Wednesday, August 5.

The George Street Festival runs for several days around the same time. In 2026 it ran from July 30 to August 5. For that year the City approved closing the eastbound lane of Duckworth Street, from New Gower Street to Bates Hill, from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily, and on Regatta Eve and Regatta Day it closed roads around Quidi Vidi Lake. Check the dates and closures each year, as they change.

Why is Regatta Day hard to plan for?

Because the Regatta Committee can postpone it if the weather is unsuitable, so it is not certain until it is confirmed. On a Regatta Day that goes ahead:

• Crowds gather around Quidi Vidi Lake from the morning, and many people are off work.
• Restaurants near the lake and in Quidi Vidi Village can be very busy.
• Downtown may be quieter during the day than a normal Wednesday, then busy in the evening.

If it is postponed, it is a normal working day for most people, and the holiday moves to the next suitable day.

How should you staff for an uncertain holiday?

A few practical approaches:

1. Plan two versions of the day: one for a Regatta Day that goes ahead, one for a postponement.
2. Agree with staff in advance who is on call, and how they will hear by early morning.
3. Publish both rotas on staff phones, and confirm which applies as soon as the decision is announced.
4. Know the provincial rules on pay for public and civic holidays and for shifts cancelled at short notice. This is not legal advice, so check with the Labour Standards Division. The guide on scheduling and labour standards has the figures.

How should restaurants plan for the George Street Festival?

The festival brings big evening crowds downtown. For a restaurant near George Street:

• Expect early dinners from people eating before the music starts.
• Consider a short festival menu that the kitchen can turn out quickly.
• Take names at the door so people can wait elsewhere.
• Think about late-night food, if you are open late, for the crowd leaving the street.

For a café, the mornings after the festival can be busy too, with people looking for coffee and a hearty breakfast.

How do you plan for heavy festival crowds?

The George Street Festival brings very large crowds into a short street, and restaurants nearby feel it all week.

• Plan extra staff for the door, the bar and the kitchen.
• Simplify the menu to dishes that are fast to serve.
• Plan deliveries and stock around road closures and access times.
• Coordinate with neighbours on crowds, noise and waste.
• Keep water available and look after staff on long nights.

Check the festival's dates, hours and access rules with the organizers and the City each year.

Should you sell places at a festival-week event?

A ticketed event during festival week can work well if it complements the festival rather than competing with it: an early dinner before the music, a traditional breakfast on Regatta morning or a family-friendly lunch. Keep the food at the centre, set a clear capacity and plan for the possibility that Regatta Day moves.

What should go on a Regatta Day menu?

People at the lake want food they can carry and eat standing up. If you are near Quidi Vidi, think about a short takeout menu for the day: fish and chips in a box, chowder in a cup, fish cakes, sandwiches, baked goods and cold drinks. Back downtown, the evening after the races often feels like a celebration. A hearty dinner menu with a few local favourites suits the mood, and so does an early sitting for families heading home.

How do you tell customers what you are doing?

Customers want to know two things: are you open, and when. Update your listing hours for the week, post your plans on your social pages and keep a ready answer for the inevitable "Are you open on Regatta Day?" message. If Regatta Day is postponed, update your hours again that morning.

What should you review after the week?

Look at your sales for each day of festival week and for Regatta Day, compare them with last year and note what ran out, what was over-prepped and where the team was stretched. Next year's plan starts from those notes, not from memory.

More from St. John's: selling gift cards.

More in the Canadian guides for food businesses.