ON THE LINE Local restaurateurs get personal
By Lynda Wheatley At the outset of the pandemic, it’s likely none of us knew just how surreal it would feel to go weeks, months, and — for some of us — nearly a year without gathering inside a restaurant. The simple act of bellying up to a bar, cozying up in a booth, or tucking in to a white-cloth-covered table for a meal with friends, coworkers, clients, or even a first date was suddenly recategorized a lifethreatening risk. Whatever your conviction about the reality of the risk, or the rules intended to mitigate it, we all paid a price in losing that simple pleasure — no one, of course, more than the people whose livelihoods depend on it. To get a better sense of the in-house experience over the last 11 months, Northern Express reached out to a dozen restaurants across northwest Lower Michigan. Of those willing to share their “family’s” struggles and strategies, we opted to highlight the eateries you might assume odds would favor — those located in one of the most densely populated areas Up North, the nationallyknown foodie town, Traverse City. JOLLY PUMPKIN Jim DeMarsh, General Manager Before & Now: With our ability to add additional outdoor tables, we actually ended up with roughly the same amount of seats prior to the onset of the pandemic. Staffing, however, has been particularly difficult, and we anticipate more struggles with this heading into the 2021 season. Summer Changes: We were able to add about 10 additional patio tables that helped to offset our limited indoor dining. One of the greatest assets we were able to take advantage of is the physical landscape of our property, encouraging guests to BYOB (Bring your own blanket), order take out and have a picnic on our lawn overlooking West bay. Any given evening we could see 15–20 socially distanced groups enjoying our food and craft beverages on our lawn. Winter Changes: We added heaters, made sure our outdoor fires were lit, and did our best to make an inviting atmosphere.
New Strategies: We certainly had to take a practical approach to the menu items we were offering, in particular, items in which would “travel” well and still uphold our standards. The Worst: The uncertainty of knowing when we could re-open, when we could call staff back, and having to do so on what seemed like a moment’s notice was very difficult. The Best: By far the greatest moment was right before we re-opened after Memorial Weekend. Every single one of our staff members returned with an eagerness to get back to work. As with most businesses, there is a family-type atmosphere that holds us together. AMICAL Co-owner David Denison Past & Present: We had 16 tables (seating for 100) inside and eight tables (seating for 32) on the patio, although our occupancy is higher. Before the first shutdown in March, we had 40 staff members and typically employ up to 65 staff members in our high [summer] season. Right now, we’re at 27 seats inside, 20 outside, and 25 staff members — most of whom are part-time. Summer Changes: We added four tables on the street, with umbrellas, which gave us 16 seats. We already had the extra tables; we removed them from our dining room and patio to reduce to the 50 percent capacity restrictions there. The time and investment were absolutely worth it; guests wanted to be outside. Winter Changes: We invested in additional heaters. Our patio covers, curtains, and drops have been in place for quite some time. [Amical has always been able to seat guests on its patio year-round if they prefer to sit outside.] However, this resulted in zero extra seating because the Grand Traverse County Health Department ruled the outdoor patio not serviceable as an outdoor dining option. Other Investments: We upped the level of our disinfectant and sanitizing products, along with the frequency of use, installed hand sanitizer stations, and changed to a higher quality, compostable to-go container program. The to-go containers easily added 5 percent to our costs during our carryout-
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only restrictions. I can’t imagine the impact on the landfills across the country or what some of our patrons have stashed in their cupboards. Worth It? If we are able to keep our staff and guests safe and healthy during these times, then we would have to say the investment in these practices was worth the cost. We have spent a quartercentury building trust with our clients and community. We were not going to throw that away by not complying with health and safety protocols during a pandemic. The Big Hit: Revenue was down about 40 percent in the summer season and down 65–70 percent this winter. New Strategies: During our carryout only period, we offered 50 percent off the price of our wine list, restructured our menu to accommodate family meal “take-andbake” items, offered alternative packaging/ sizing on some desserts and menu items. Our curbside pickup was engineered to be touchless if our guests requested this option, and we offered food pickup out back during the summer street closure. The Worst: The moment we realized that we had little to no control over the events as they continued to unfold. With no experience in dealing with the scope of this type of business interruption, no immediate financial support or insurance reimbursements on the horizon, things initially looked quite bleak. The Best: The best part I suppose, if there is a best part, was the support from the community. Not just ordering takeout but also how they came together and financially helped so many of our staff through the hardest moment of their lives. It was just remarkable. We always knew the restaurant would survive this because of the community we live in. Our biggest worry was our staff being able to survive this financially and mentally. —Jeffery Libman, Amical general manager. THE FLYING NOODLE Adrienne Brunette, Owner Operator Opening Interrupted: [The Flying Noodle, which opened downtown in July 2020] was supposed to be 60 seats with a team of 20 to 25. Now, with just 15 seats, we have a staff of eight.
Left: Amical GM Jeffrey Libman’s survival tip for comrades in the trenches: “Do everything that you can to help people during difficult periods. Be supportive, be understanding, and try to keep your “family” intact. Challenging times come and go. How you treat one another during the most extreme circumstances will define the future of your relationships.” Right: In addition to ingredients, The Good Bowl’s DIY Dumpling Kit includes a QR code to show you how to make the perfect folds for three types of dumplings, as well as easy cooking instructions.
Changes: With Front Street closed this summer, we were able to add a patio with tables and umbrellas, and seating for 20. This winter — we didn’t add any seating; there’s no space. Worth It? Absolutely worth the investment, but it was difficult to come up with more operating capital when we were just opening; [pandemic-prompted expenses] were not in the initial budget. Regardless, it paid off in seats for our guests and jobs for our team. For Keeps? We do not know if Front Street will be closed to traffic again in the future, but if it is, absolutely. If not, we’re located somewhere an outdoor space is proving a bit difficult to make work. Other Investments: An air filtration system, delivery service, and lots of PPE and cleaning supplies. Also, lots of printing for single-use menus, contact-tracing sheets, signage, and distributing information to guests and staff. We also had a huge additional expense of carryout packaging. In total, about $20K. New Strategies: We did make several menu changes to accommodate takeout, including adding pizza to the menu and nearly at-cost to go wine and beer. The Big Hit: Since we were not open last year, we don’t have anything to compare it to. But we know the demand for the seats is there, so we estimate a 50 percent or more loss in revenue. The Worst: By far, having to lay off almost 20 people weeks before Christmas. It makes me well up in tears even now because, honestly, we had made it so far, and it just felt so defeating. To have to deliver such crap news to people you really care about — there is just nothing that feels worse than that moment for me. I felt helpless that we didn’t have jobs for them, because their jobs suddenly didn’t exist.
