The province's offer to help struggling restaurant owners during what's been a disastrous year for their bottom lines contains quite a bit of red tape — enough to leave them feeling let down and even abandoned by the Quebec government.

"People actually travel to eat in Montreal, that's a known fact," said Dyan Solomon, owner of three restaurants in the city, including Un po di Più. 

"And yet, at this moment, we are being completely forgotten."

Since Oct. 1, restaurant dining rooms in red zones have been shut down, and they'll stay that way until at least Jan. 11, depriving them of vital revenue that often comes from a busy holiday season.

It's the second time restaurant dining rooms in Quebec have been forced to close during the pandemic.

Assistance from the province comes in the form of a loan of up to 50,000$, 80 per cent of which may not need to be repaid.

Here's the problem: restaurant owners say accessing the federal government's programs was quick and painless.

The provincial one? Not so much.

To access Quebec's loan program, owners need to share information such as cost forecasts and budget statements, something small businesses living month-to-month may not have handy.

"They don't have people working in their offices, they don't have bookkeepers, they don't have time to sit at a computer for three days in a row and fill out forms that are very complicated," said Solomon.