With business ramping up as restrictions ease, the Keg Royalties Income Fund is doubling its monthly distribution.

Effective July, the royalty fund is increasing its monthly payout from $0.035 per unit to $0.07 on the heels of a sales increase at Keg Restaurants Ltd. 

This is still below the fund’s pre-COVID distribution of $0.09 per unit, which was slashed in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.

“The relaxation of many COVID-related operating restrictions in most provinces has led to significant increases in The Keg’s sales levels in those provinces,” said David Aisenstat, chief executive officer of The Keg, in a release.

“While we have remained unable to resume inside dining in our 45 Ontario Keg locations, and some physical distancing and other COVID protocols remain in most of the other jurisdictions in which we operate, those issues are expected to be largely resolved in the near future.”

Restaurants in Ontario, will be permitted to welcome guests back to indoor dining rooms as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, as the province enters step three of its reopening plan.