S
Comfort Food & Covid
Cover Articles
weet Relief Nashville chef David Andrews reopens bakery after two-month closure Joan Brasher
As COVID-19 made its presence known in Nashville in March, foot traffic at D’Andrews Bakery and Café began to dwindle. The steady stream of early morning customers in search of a caffeine boost and a farm-fresh egg and bacon sandwich had slowed to a trickle. The faithful lunchtime patrons who queued up for a chicken avocado sandwich and a slice of homemade carrot cake were no more. Offices and retail businesses all across Nashville, and the country, were closing up shop, and D’Andrews’ chef/owner David Andrews saw the writing on the wall. “Downtown Nashville was turning into a ghost town,” he said. “I live downtown with my husband, Matt, and it was very sad to see.” He made the difficult decision to close the café just shy of its second anniversary. “It was devastating to lock the doors and go dark,” Andrews said, “but we had to think about the safety and wellbeing of our staff. We also needed to preserve cash so we could survive to live another day.” Not long after shuttering the café he received an email from a loyal customer checking in to see how he was holding up—and offering to help him navigate the application for a federal PPP
business loan. That customer happened to be a staff member in Rep. Jim Cooper’s office. “Jim Cooper’s office is right next door to the café and he and his staff come in all the time,” Andrews said. “I gave them my information and a week later the money was in the bank. I really appreciate that they took the time to reach out and offer support. I’ll always remember that. And I have to give a shout out to both Democrats and Republicans for getting that bill pushed through. It was a Herculean task, but it was the right thing to do.” Andrews re-opened at partial capacity about two months later, in May. The first order of business was training staff on the new safety protocols, like wearing face masks, wiping down surfaces and social distancing. “Wearing a face mask was something different for us, especially when you’re working over a hot stove,” Andrews said. “But we got used to it and now it has become second nature.” He arranged for delivery service via Uber Eats, and curbside pickup was set up at the roundabout in front of the store. And to make social distanced gatherings more fun, Andrews added picnic boxes and pastry boxes to the menu. They can be ordered ahead for pickup or delivery on the weekends. “The picnic and pastry boxes have been popular,” he said. “You can fill them with croissants, pain au chocolat, fruit tarts—all the French classics. And we have some home-grown favorites
KATE NELSON, REALTOR® 615 / 268-0319 615 / 383-6964 kjcnelson@gmail.com DIRECT
OFFICE
realestatewithkate.com
outandaboutnashville.com
September 2020
13
