Toronto-The upcoming European Cup final between England and Italy will give Canadian fans a chance to reinvigorate the celebration so common in the pre-pandemic era, as the relaxed public health restrictions across the country prepare restaurant owners for a busy day . During the day—maybe even busier at night.

The owners of Italian restaurants and British pubs said they expect their terraces to be filled up, at least as large as allowed by the remaining rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Rocco Mastrangelo, who owns Cafe Diplomatico in Toronto, said that the championship series reminded him of his restaurant days before the pandemic broke out.

“I’m very excited, there are butterflies in my stomach. We opened reservations especially for the evening of the finals. We have fully booked 160 people, which is a large part of the total capacity of our terrace,” he said.

Mastrangelo tried to obtain a permit to expand his business to set up more tables at night, but was refused due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

“Let’s say that if Italy wins, we will party all night,” he said.

The match is scheduled to start at 3pm Eastern Time. This will be England’s first major international competition final since winning the World Cup in 1966, so supporters are expected to line up outside British pubs across Canada.

Queen & Beaver Public House in Toronto is expected to be full on Sunday.

Restaurant manager Neil Massey said: “It’s exciting to think that England can win.” “Due to COVID-19, capacity is still limited. That’s why we don’t accept reservations, but I expect to see a lot of Long line.”

At the same time, Pub Bishop & Bagg’s situation is somewhat unusual. This English-style bar is located near Montreal’s Little Italy area, so manager Megan Turcotte wants to see supporters of both teams.

“People are very excited and it brings everyone together,” she said. “They drank a lot of alcohol and the voice was loud. Some people even sat on the street and watched our TV from a distance.”

Roland Lamote of Montreal said that he played football when he was young, but watching the game now allows him to move on.

He said that he has lived in Little Italy all his life, so supporting Italy is like supporting his home team.

“For the Montreal Canadiens, I am very, very disappointed,” Lamott said of the National Hockey League team’s recent defeat in the Stanley Cup final. “But at least we have this football match now.”

The Italian Anthony Colaniro, also from Montreal, had never seen Italy win the European Cup before, and he didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

“Of course, it’s all about Italy!” he said. “I will watch the game with my family-20 people-and a lot of food!”

Manager Kirsten Wright said that the desire to celebrate throughout the European Cup drove customers to drove to Pub Italia in Ottawa, but as the restaurant became more and more busy, some new challenges also Appeared.

Wright said: “We have been experiencing serious problems with staff shortages, just to make sure that our terrace is suitable for all customers.” “If we book for Sunday, it will be fully booked within a few minutes.”

The Canadian Press report was first published on July 11, 2021.

-Documents from Virginie Ann from Montreal.