BC Ferries reopening food service and onboard amenities
BC Ferries announced on Wednesday that it will be carefully reopening additional amenities both onboard and at ferry terminals.
The announcement comes just one month after a limited range of hot food services were restored on select routes. Now, the ferry corporation says it’ll be expanding with a limited menu at the Coastal Cafe and Arbutus Coffee Bar.
Packaged food items and a selection of hot food services can now be found on the following routes:
- Swartz Bay – Southern Gulf Islands
- Tsawwassen – Southern Gulf Islands
- Horseshoe Bay – Snug Cove
- Westview – Little River
- Earls Cove – Saltery Bay
- Port Hardy – Prince Rupert
- Prince Rupert – Skidegate
All hot food will be packaged so that customers can take it to their vehicles or use the limited seating in the cafeteria and outer deck.
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Starting on Friday, July 10, BC Ferries will also reopen the Passages onboard store on select vessels: the Spirit of British Columbia, Spirit of Vancouver Island, the Queen of Cowichan, and the Queen of Oak Bay.
The four vessels travel between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, Departure Bay, and Horseshoe Bay.
Lands End Cafe, which is located at Victoria’s Swartz Bay terminal, is also being reopened with limited food services, specifically Bread Garden sandwiches, brewed coffee and tea, packaged pastries, cold cereal, yogurt, and fruit cups.
For the 2018-19 fiscal year, retail activities generated $64 million in net revenue for BC Ferries, with food and beverage sales accounting for 72% of this revenue. It is the ferry corporation’s second largest source of direct revenue and provides a gross margin of about 60%, which contributes to net earnings and helps reduces the upward pressure on fares.
BC Ferries continues to operate with enhanced health safety measures, including a 50% passenger capacity on each vessel to help maintain physical distancing, and the requirement that all passengers bring a face mask or covering onboard.
With files from Kenneth Chan