PROGRESS 2021
January 30 and 31, 2021
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THE GAZETTE, EMPORIA, KANSAS
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COMMUNITY
EL LORITO IS STILL GOING AMIDST THE PANDEMIC THANKS TO SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY PATRONAGE
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Guests enjoy a meal at El Lorito. Owner Rene Santana said that guests were enthusiastic about supporting the restaurant all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
began shuttering restaurants last year, owner Rene Santana was nervous about El Lorito opened its Em- what that would mean for poria location in 2010 and his business. has served the community Speaking through Yeymi ever since. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic Please see El Lorito, Page 12 By Zach DeLoach zach@emporia.com
“I want to thank all of the community for helping us stay afloat and coming and visiting and choosing to dine here with us.” RENE SANTANA, El Lorito owner
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El Lorito shut down completely for two weeks in the spring of 2020. Since then, local patrons’ support has kept the restaurant afloat through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Restaurant manager Jesus Santana checks out another satisfied guest.
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THE GAZETTE, EMPORIA, KANSAS
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January 30 and 31, 2021
SLOW BUT STEADY WINS THE RACE AT BOBBY D’S
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By Kyra Jumper
jumper@emporia.com
The Gazette went out to speak to restaurants around Emporia to check in on how they are doing nearly 10 months later in the pandemic.
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“It has been slow, but steady,” said Bobby Doudican, owner of B obby D’s Merchant Street BBQ. “Thankfully for the people of Emporia we have been able to survive.” Everyday seems like a challenge with the pandemic, but making sure that the restaurant is safe for people to dine-in is one of Doudican’s main concerns. He
hopes that everybody will do their part to wear a mask and social distance to protect each other. “The majority of our business is still take out and curbside, although we do have limited space inside for customers,” he said. “I normally sat 84 people, but right now all we are seating is 28 people. I will continue along that path until we somewhat get an all clear.”
As vaccinations being to roll out, he hopes that he will eventually be able to open his doors and provide more seating for customers. “I just want Emporia to know how grateful we are and how humble we are that they will still give us business in a time like this,” Doudican said. “If everybody keeps smiling, then we will keep pushing on.”
January 30 and 31, 2021
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PANDEMIC CLOSES SOME DOORS, OPENS OTHERS AT DO-B’S BURGERS, PHILLYS AND POBOYS
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By Adam Blake
adam@emporia.com
When the pandemic forced the closure of the community’s in-door dining establishments last spring, Do-B’s Burgers, Phillys & PoBoys Owner Daryn Bontrager knew that he and his staff were going to have to adapt in order to stay afloat. The changes have been numerous to this point in the realms of new health protocols, day-to-day work schedules and inventory management, but one thing that hasn’t changed has been the community’s support of a cherished local institution. “A number of our businesses and restaurants in town were forced to close completely for a period of time when all this started,” Bontrager said. “We were one of the only ones that was able to stay open outside of some of the big franchises and chains, and really, that just came through luck because we happened to have a drive-through window. We’ve always done carryout, but before the pandemic started, we never operated a drive-through where people were able to order at the window, or even just pick up their food there. So, it was as simple as that at first, and it helped us just to maintain some element of normal business.” Although drive-through visits continued steadily throughout the first couple weeks of initial lockdowns,
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Do-B’s staff work on preparing one of several to-go orders during a lunch rush this week.
fewer and fewer cars began showing up for each day’s lunch rush as it became apparent COVID-19 was here to stay. “When the virus reached Kansas, I think a lot of peo-
ple thought it wasn’t going to last for very long,” Bontrager said. “But as it drug on more, and more and more, people got into new Please see Do-B’s, Page 12
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Online ordering has been another huge help.
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EL LORITO From PAGE 9
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While dine-in seating at Do-B’s may be closed for the time being, the restaurant’s drive-through window has been swarming with customers.
DO-B’S From PAGE 11 routines. A lot of times, those routines didn’t include going for carryout food each day, and I could understand that with everything else going on.” In addition to dealing with a dwindling daily clientele, Bontrager was forced to face staff crunches as well, vacating about one and a half hours worth of full-time positions. Eventually, other challenges began to appear due to the virus’s effect on global markets, resulting in skyrocketing prices for many food items and other supplies used by Do-B’s from week to week. “There was a period of time when we were paying over $9 for a pound of hamburger,” Bontrager said. “That was tricky, but now the prices are pretty close to where they were before the pandemic. Still, we’re having to pay attention to prices for produce, and things like rubber gloves, which are fluctuating a whole lot more than they ever have before. Fluctuations on cheese are still huge, and it’s not uncommon to have to pay roughly 50% more for whatever you’ve bought in the past. “I’ve always kind of been in tune with [the markets] and kept track of that, but the need to monitor those now is really apparent and necessary in figuring out how much we’re going to be spending on a regular basis.” Despite all the varying complications, one defined area of growth Do-B’s has enjoyed since March has been found in the popularity of its online presence at www.do-b.com. While prospective customers were able to order online even before the pandemic, Bontrager believes he’s seen more internet-based orders in the last few months than in past years, combined. “We had it before, but we rarely ever saw much traffic there and we really didn’t spend a lot of time prioritizing our online ordering system,” Bontrager said. “Since the pandemic, though, it’s been one of our first priorities. We’ve seen a lot of benefit through that and a lot of positive feedback from people who are able to order from their desks at work or the comfort of their own homes and won’t have to worry about waiting in line or getting a busy signal when they call in. A lot of people in our community have started to learn that carryout and online ordering doesn’t just have to mean pizza or something like that.” Now seeing the elements as a key to future success, Bontrager plans to keep an emphasis on the Do-B’s drive-through and website, even when various health
restrictions are lifted — hopefully — for good. In the meantime however, he’s simply looking forward to “continuing the grind,” knowing how valued his business is in the eyes of area residents. “Outside of listing every single resident in the area, I don’t know what to do other than just say that we’re so thankful for the Emporia community, both to our business partners and to all of our customers and consumers that have made an effort to support us during this time” Bontrager said. “Everyone in the commu-
nity has been wonderful — [Emporia Main Street Director] Casey Woods and his organization and all they’ve done to keep business owners informed. “We’ve also partnered with the Commercial Street Diner, with Radius Brewery, with J’s Hamburgers and with Bobby D’s. It might just be little things like opening a communication door and saying, ‘How are you guys doing or how are you handling this,’ or even something like teaming up to see if we can get a better price for supplies if we combine our orders.
Some of the things we’ve done together in the last few months are things that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It’s been great to see everybody put aside whatever differences they may have and work together.” Do-B’s Burgers, Phillys & PoBoys, located at 704 E 12th Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Those looking to order carryout can call 620-342-7294 to place an order, or submit one online at www.do-b. com.
Rodriguez, a hostess at El Lorito acting as a translator, Santana recounted the experience of watching the pandemic develop. “I was scared that [business] would go down,” he said. “It was two weeks that we were closed for the entire time.” After ceasing operations entirely in the spring, the possibility of returning to a semblance of work in the form of to-go orders presented itself. The community responded enthusiastically. “Thankfully, [business] picked up a lot with to-go orders and operating it that way since we weren’t able to seat them inside,” Santana said. El Lorito’s dining room remained closed to the public for another two months, but the Emporia community helped the restaurant stay afloat by continuing to order to-go during that time. “I was very happy that there were a lot of people that came in for the to-go orders and supported us,” Santana said. Once the restaurant reopened for dine-in guests, Santana found that people were eager to return and continue supporting El Lorito. Some had even taken special care to ensure they were giving their business to their favorite restaurant. “A lot of people came back,” he said. “‘Oh finally, you guys opened, we’re glad to be back’, and that’s pretty much how it was. They’d come and they’d tell us, ‘Oh, we’re so glad to be back. We’re so happy you guys are
January 30 and 31, 2021 still open.’ And then there would even be customers that would come and tell us, ‘Oh, we would make sure to buy at least once or twice a week from you guys because we didn’t want you to close’.” Currently, El Lorito is taking steps to keep its employees and guests safe so that the restaurant can continue operating as well as it can. Guests are seated at every other table and are required to wear masks into the restaurant. All employees are also required to wear masks and to disinfect all surfaces once the guests using them have left in addition to frequent hand-washing. “We’re just trying to be cautious so it doesn’t happen again and we don’t end up having to rely on to-go orders,” he said. Santana said that between to-go orders and eventually opening up for dine-in guests, business has vastly improved. “Thankfully, it’s gotten better and it’s back up to how it used to be,” he said. He also added that he feels confident that business will continue to be good and that El Lorito will be around for a long time to come. Santana expressed gratitude to the community of Emporia for the ways that it has supported his restaurant over the past year. “I want to thank all of the community for helping us stay afloat and coming and visiting and choosing to dine here with us,” he said. “That means a lot to me, especially when they would come in and give us compliments. I’ve even noticed some customers tip more now as to previously before, and that helps a lot too.”