From the field
A COVID
UPDATE BY KATHLEEN FURORE AND ED AVIS
EDITOR’S NOTE: Editor Kathleen Furore and Publisher Ed Avis reached out to three el Restaurante readers to find out how they weathered the COVID-inflicted challenges of 2020 and how they’re moving ahead with hope in 2021.
AGAVE & RYE
When the pandemic hit,
Yavonne Sarber, founder and CEO
we took a step back, then got
Yavonne Sarber acknowl-
running. When we saw the
edges that COVID presented
demand was strong, we went
challenges for her and her
full steam ahead. Our Lou-
team at Agave & Rye. But the
isville location was already
brand quickly pivoted, and
open at that point, and we
actually opened new restau-
found our Troy, Ohio location
rants in 2020. Papi Jocho’s,
around the time we opened
a new concept featuring
the restaurant in Rookwood.
authentic Mexican hot dogs
Shortly thereafter, we signed
and street tacos, opened in
to open our sixth restaurant
Covington, Kentucky. And
in New Albany, Indiana.
our carryout back up and
new locations of Agave &
another Agave & Rye coming
ER: How did the restaurants manage to keep business thriving when other establishments struggled? Did they get PPP funding? Tweak the menu or the concept? YS: We did receive a PPP
to Albany, Indiana soon.
loan, but it was quite small,
Rye debuted in Rookwood and Troy, Ohio, joining their sister restaurants in Covington, Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky and Liberty Township, Ohio. And there’s even
allowing us just enough mon-
14 el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2021
el Restaurante: Did Agave & Rye have plans in place to open those new locations before the pandemic hit? If so, how far along were they with the planning and how did those plans change as a result of COVID? Yavonne Sarber: While we
etary support to open back
didn’t plan on opening our
adapted the menu to offer
newest locations before the
only six items. Business grew
pandemic, we did already
quickly and we were able to
have growth plans in place.
expand to our full menu in
Before we had chosen to
about 30 days. Ultimately,
open a restaurant in Rook-
menu items that didn’t travel
wood, we had another
well were discontinued and
up. At that time, we had just self-funded the opening of the Louisville restaurant and our working capital was low. With the shutdown, our bank accounts were hemorrhaging. However, when we began offering carryout options, we
location selected; Rookwood
new “Not a Taco” menu items
became a better opportu-
were added, including our
nity that we decided to take
Epic Chicken Sandwich, our
advantage of.
Epic Burger and our Street
