This is the long form version of the interview located here:

This isn't my typical lighting or photography tutorial but...a photography conversation about is happening to my city. I believe in business. I believe that entrepreneur are amongst the most courageous citizens. Entrepreneurs are what makes a city vibrant. We are photographers, we document time and events.

For the past 2 years, it's been very difficult navigating through measures such as lockdowns and curfews. Businesses are suffering.
Through the excuse of using my camera, I wanted to capture raw moments from my discussions with those businesses for posterity.

We had very little time to setup and test everything so pardon the lo-fi lighting and double mics (I was paranoid about sound, I used the Rode Micro Go for the first time). But the conversation you will listen to is great.

Viral Patel is a born and raised Montreal restauranteur who owns Le Tequila Bar. Le Tequila Bar is a gastro-pub located in the heart of Saint-Henri in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Viral shared his story about his upbringing, his entrepreneurial journey and what happened in the last 2 years.

Please share this with someone you know, we need to share those stories of people like Viral who are part of the heart of our cities. Those small businesses constitute the fabric of our society and without our support, they will fade into non-existence.

You can follow Viral's restaurant here:   / letequilabar  

Thanks for watching and sharing.

00:00 Who is Viral Patel
05:42 How Le Tequila Bar was saved from bankruptcy
07:15 The inspiration behind Le Tequila Bar
16:10 Building a family while owning a restaurant
20:00 How was Le Tequila Bar before lockdowns?
21:05 Turning Wave 1 into a better restaurant
26:00 The financial impact of measures
27:25 The burden of measures
30:00 Reflexions on the government "help"
33:46 The consequences of defiance
38:50 The dirty secret of Quebec's "business loans"
42:00 Quebec's government bureaucracy issues
44:00 The future of restaurants in Montreal
46:20 Will Le Tequila Bar survive?
47:45 Bankrupted of the measures
50:50 How can we help local businesses?
54:40 Will legal measures help?
56:00 IMPORTANT PSA