As you can imagine, restaurants and bars have taken massive hits hard during coronavirus lockdown. Toronto's Lakeview Restaurant has been shuttered for the duration of Ontario's state of emergency, but the restaurant has recently found a new way to keep afloat during these trying times.
For budding directors and actors in the city, the 24-hour diner just became the prime spot for filmmaking during quarantine. Speaking with NOW, co-owner Fadi Hakim has announced plans to open up the Lakeview to groups of up to four people — who can prove they have been quarantining together — as a shooting location.
In fact, they've already started letting friends use the restaurant for film projects.
"They let themselves in via a combination lock on the back door which was wiped after use, and [we] left signs that clearly denoted where the lights were," Hakim said. "From there, they called or FaceTimed me when they needed anything. They were all very diligent in cleaning up after themselves by sweeping, mopping and sanitizing surfaces."
Lakeview has since launched a sign-up form for interested parties.
"The Lakeview is closed, but that doesn't mean you can't shoot your first or fifth short film there," the form reads. "We're offering up our Landmark spot once a week to select Amateur Filmmakers until we re-open!"
As restrictions lift, Lakeview intends to reopen on an altered schedule — so no 3 a.m. disco fries on Tuesday night right away, folks. The restaurant intends to run its usual 24-hour schedule only on weekends, leaving it open for film projects Mondays through Wednesdays.
See Lakeview's announcement below and head to the diner's website for more information.
For budding directors and actors in the city, the 24-hour diner just became the prime spot for filmmaking during quarantine. Speaking with NOW, co-owner Fadi Hakim has announced plans to open up the Lakeview to groups of up to four people — who can prove they have been quarantining together — as a shooting location.
In fact, they've already started letting friends use the restaurant for film projects.
"They let themselves in via a combination lock on the back door which was wiped after use, and [we] left signs that clearly denoted where the lights were," Hakim said. "From there, they called or FaceTimed me when they needed anything. They were all very diligent in cleaning up after themselves by sweeping, mopping and sanitizing surfaces."
Lakeview has since launched a sign-up form for interested parties.
"The Lakeview is closed, but that doesn't mean you can't shoot your first or fifth short film there," the form reads. "We're offering up our Landmark spot once a week to select Amateur Filmmakers until we re-open!"
As restrictions lift, Lakeview intends to reopen on an altered schedule — so no 3 a.m. disco fries on Tuesday night right away, folks. The restaurant intends to run its usual 24-hour schedule only on weekends, leaving it open for film projects Mondays through Wednesdays.
See Lakeview's announcement below and head to the diner's website for more information.