LOCAL LOVE
SUPPORTING AREA RESTAURANTS IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided
Bru Burger
Aspen Creek
It’s been a difficult year for everyone, but those who make their living in the restaurant industry have been hit especially hard during the pandemic. In the spring of 2020, area restaurants were forced to shutter for months and owners had to temporarily lay off staff. Adson Franco, owner of Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano, recalls that moment as the hardest day of his life. “We are like family here,” Franco says. That’s why his happiest day was the day he got to call everyone back to work. When they reopened in May, the outlook was tenuous as life still felt so uncertain.
“We didn’t know which way this was going to go - whether we would be busy or not,” Franco says. Hiring back his entire staff was a chance he
was willing to take since he knew they were struggling financially. “Servers make just $2.13 an hour, so pretty much all of their revenue comes from tips,”
4 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2021 / atNoblesville.com
