FOOD & DRINK
CHEFS MOVING CAUTIOUSLY ON
REOPENING THEIR DINING ROOMS By John R eiss
L
ocal chefs and restaurateurs are taking thoughtful steps as they navigate the challenge of re-opening their dining rooms in the new reality of the COVID-19 era. While many hoped that the worst had passed, case numbers continue to climb making decisions difficult. The chefs and restaurateurs I’ve talked to have decidedly mixed feelings on getting back to business. Many are weighing the health concerns of their employees versus the need to make a living. It’s not an easy choice. Chef Adam Pawlak of Eggs & Flour Pasta Bar at the Crossroads Collective on Milwaukee’s East Side says, “It’s very difficult to be a restaurant owner right now.” He should know, his Bay View restaurant was set to open right when the shutdown hit back in March. Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie in the Third Ward is taking a slower approach about opening up indoor seating saying, “We would really like to focus on outdoor dining for the imme-
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diate future.” AJ Dixon at Lazy Susan in Bay View said she, too, is committed to “take out or small patio outdoor-only dining for as long as I financially can.” Andy Schneider of Le Reve in Wauwatosa opened up indoor dining and added a food truck but has since backtracked on the truck to focus just on the restaurant. He, like Bell and Dixon, has been doing carryout meals to stay afloat. Schneider says he’ll continue selling the family meals packs even though he’s reopened his dining room because he’s “found a diversified concept in the menu options” that appeals to a larger clientele with “different comfort levels.”
The pandemic fallout has made closures inevitable in a business with thin profit margins.
Whether restaurants can open at 50, 75 or even 100% capacity, the reality is that social distancing ultimately dictates how many you can seat in your dining room or outdoor space. Joe Singer at Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern in Brewers Hill says that “given the size of the space and our inside seating capacity of 40 (60 to include
