Restaurant owner Brian Ha, left, hopes the customers keep coming despite the HST's effect on the price of meals. (CBC)

Canada Day is also HST day in B.C. — the first time residents across the province have to deal with the reality of the controversial new levy.

The seven per cent provincial sales tax may no longer exist, but the PST hasn't really gone away for consumers.

It is now blended with the five per cent federal GST for a 12 per cent tax, which is applied to more goods and services than the PST was, such as haircuts, newspapers, magazines, dry cleaning and restaurant meals.

The province's restaurateurs have been among the HST's most vocal opponents, based on the assumption that a seven per cent increase on the cost of meals will keep customers away.

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association has forecast that the HST will cost every restaurant in B.C. $50,000 a year, or a total of $750 million for the estimated 15,000 eating establishments in the province.

Restaurateur Brian Ha, who opened the Vietnamese Restaurant in East Vancouver 25 years ago, said he's concerned, but he's willing to wait and see what effect the new tax will have on his business.

"Very worried," said Ha. "Because the people have to spend more money. But today is the first day. We don't know yet."

Some restaurant patrons told CBC News Thursday that they are also taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the tax.

"It's not going to stop me from getting out and supporting the local businesses," said one.

Another said he would probably eat out just as frequently, "but I might watch the prices of the places that I go to."

"The number one thing we like to do is go out for food," said one woman at The Vietnamese Restaurant. "So, that's a bit of a drag."

She was asked if she and her partner would not go out for a meal as often.

"We might," she said.

With files from the CBC's Bob Nixon