Running a restaurant is not just a business; it's a passion, a livelihood, and for many of us, a dream come true. Owning two restaurants, we experienced this dream firsthand, but it came at a steep cost. At one point, we proudly ran three establishments, each brimming with potential, yet one crucial factor contributed significantly to the loss of our third venture: the Goods and Services Tax (GST). While we're willing to contribute our share through various channels, accumulating taxes on our earnings, profits, and even rent, paying GST on the core service we offer—food—seems unjust. Food, a basic necessity, was never intended to be a target for taxation in the first place.

The current application of GST in the restaurant industry is taking a huge toll. Restaurant owners are grappling with wafer-thin margins, where every cent counts. The inability to add GST on top of prices pressurizes businesses to absorb these costs, essentially eating into any slim profits they manage to make. This tax-heavy environment could very well be the final straw for many. How does one sustain a business model where almost all of the profit is swallowed by another layer of tax? Restaurateurs like us are not alone in this struggle; the GST imposition is choking an entire industry.

Statistics back this predicament as undeniably real. Reports show a steady increase in restaurant closures year over year, not due to a lack of patrons but due to insurmountable operational costs. The loss of one in our trio of beloved restaurants is just a testament to this broader crisis. The removal of GST on food services would not only relieve current operators but could breathe life back into previously shuttered businesses.

What we're asking is simple and actionable: remove the GST from restaurant services nation-wide. Taxing alcohol and other non-essential luxuries is understandable, but when it comes to food—the heart of our service—it’s a different narrative altogether. By lifting this tax, the industry would regain footing, innovate, and contribute even more significantly to the local economy.

We implore policymakers to listen to the unified voice of the restaurant industry. Removing GST on food sales would be a decisive step toward rejuvenating a sector that is crucial to our cultural fabric, economic development, and day-to-day joy of countless citizens. Please sign this petition to help us advocate for a tax system that sees and supports the essential services beyond transactions, recognizing the collective movement aimed at revitalizing struggling restaurants.