“McDonald’s carries well because that’s what they’ve designed their whole model to do, is be food in a bag. Well, we haven’t designed our entire model to be that way so our french fries don’t travel great,” she adds. For Hahn, the challenges have shown her and the team what they are capable of. Larson notes they aim for “succeeding as best you could with the limited opportunity we had.” With the Minnesota executive order in November and December keeping retail stores open, people were able to shop and bring in customers for restaurants as well. Hahn describes the experiences of the community simply wanting to help as “tremendous” and “heartwarming.” Businesses buy lunch for their employees, gift cards are added regularly and giveaways between businesses
encourage customers in various settings. “Without that local support, I don’t see us as making it this far,” Hahn says. “It’s been very generous in tipping our staff because obviously that’s a huge part of their income taken out of the equation when they’re not doing table side service,” Hahn says. The quick changes and slower business will hopefully shift toward normal by March, as Larson says. He’s looking forward to summer and for customers to enjoy food at their tables like “it’s supposed to be.” “I can see it being one of our busiest summers we’ve ever had here,” Larson says. “People are sick of not doing stuff and it’s not like we’re a party bar really but just to go out to socialize, meet. People are missing that, so come on summer.”
“ We weren’t really making money but we weren’t really losing money either, kind of a break even through the times.” — Assistant Manager and Bartender Charlie Larson, Brew Ales & Eats
LAKES CAFE: ‘GLAD TO BE OPEN’ With food in a box and less employees, the Cafe has loved the community support. Customers are the engine that keeps a restaurant open from one year to the next. While Rich Doll, co-owner of Lakes Cafe, knew the importance of local customers long before the year 2020 — with the cafe open for about 25 years — he was amazed at how people wanted to support them when all they could get was food in a box. He’s seen generosity, like customers dropping off Christmas cards and hundreds of dollars in cash for the employees they love and hope to support. The employees largely lived on unemployment insurance, at about 60% of their normal income, through the Christmas season. The tips made from serving people at tables disappeared, and that’s where some employees make their living, Doll says.
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