Winnipeg Free Press | November 11, 2021

Benjamin Nasberg says the community has helped him stay positive during the dark days of the pandemic.

Nasberg is the president and chief executive officer of the Carbone Restaurant Group, which has had to pivot, like many restaurants across the city during the last few months.

Since the spring, the group has downsized its operations in Winnipeg, and it continues to pivot through another mandated shutdown. On Oct. 30, the province announced that bars and restaurants in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region must close except for pickup and delivery. These latest restrictions began Nov. 2 and will remain in place for at least two weeks. 

Of course, we’ve had to shift our operations again. We were starting to see sales again, and when code red was announced our sales dropped by 50 per cent,” Nasberg said.

Carbone Coal Fired Pizza is currently offering pickup and delivery through its delivery partners at its St. Vital location at 680 St. Anne’s Rd. Also, Fast Fired by Carbone is operating a virtual kitchen at 3116 Roblin Blvd., and a location in Brandon. As well, it operates out of Underdogs, a sports bar located at 2609 Portage Ave.

Nasberg, who lives in Tuxedo, said although the restrictions are just as stressful this time around, he’s empowered by the fact he’s been down this road before. “This time, we know more about what to do in terms of things like staffing levels and communication.”

Nasberg said it’s important for him to try and stay positive during these unprecedented times — not least for his staff and customers.

“It’s important for me to stay positive when communicating with my team and our managers. We all try and remain positive, which is something that’s in our control,” he said.

“We’ve been bringing in new menu items to try and make people happy, as this an ongoing fight to get through this together as a community. We believe strongly in community, and we’ve spent a lot of time working with the charity, Sscope. We’ve been providing them with meals and fundraising support to help them, in turn, support their clients.

“There are so many people in the inner city that are going through hard times, and it’s important for us to be able to give back.” 

Sscope is a Point Douglas-based social enterprise which provides job opportunities to individuals who experience mental health illness and barriers to employment.

At press time, the group had donated more than 8,000 meals to Sscope and it will continue to do so, Nasberg said.

Go online at www.carbonecoalfiredpizza.com for more information, including hours of operation.