Restaurant Reactions
Text by SOFIA ANTEBI, MICHELLE KIM and JASMINE VENET
HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE STAYING AFLOAT
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OLORFUL, EMPTY storefronts and a silent atmosphere make downtown Palo Alto more reminiscent of a ghost town than the bustling street it once was; the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has put countless local businesses in danger of permanent closure. Bay Area restaurants are using a variety of methods to adapt, such as offering takeout and delivery or setting up GoFundMe pages.
Art by Lauren Yan
Verde interviewed three Palo Alto restaurants to gain insight into how businesses are coping with the unique impacts resulting from COVID-19. Jing-Jing Jing-Jing Szechwan & Hunan Gourmet, a Chinese restaurant operating in downtown Palo Alto since 1986, is currently facing difficulties caused by the abrupt decline in business during California’s shelter-in-place order. The family restaurant’s manager, Betty Tsai, opened a GoFundMe page on April 13 and has since raised a total of $5,000. These donations go towards paying employees and maintaining the restaurant while in-person dining remains prohibited in California. Tsai also organized a fundraiser called the Love and Support Package, in which customers can choose to donate meals — provided by Jing-Jing — to local medical workers. “My family has four generations of doctors, and I know the stress that [medical professionals] deal with daily,” Ethan Huang, Tsai’s son and Henry M. Gunn High School student, says. In addition to the fundraiser, Jing-Jing remains open for takeout and delivery to local residents. Coupa Cafe Amidst the global pandemic, Coupa Cafe turned to selling items such as groceries, gloves and toilet paper. Like other restaurants, Coupa Cafe’s revenue fell by 90% after the shelter-
in-place order, according to Co-Founder Jean Paul Coupal. Half of their locations are closed, and the chain cafe has transitioned to a reduced schedule with minimal staff. To increase revenue, they opened Coupa Grocery, making essential items available for curbside pickup. Orders rapidly poured in, and their selection quickly expanded to over 200 items. By selling items already in stock, Coupa Cafe can support employees as well as the restaurant supply chain, which has been shaken in current circumstances. “They’re sitting there with all these products and they’re ready to do anything for business, but they can’t sell it and meanwhile you have like a line outside the door at Whole Foods,” Coupal says. Dohatsuten Dohatsuten Ramen and Tapas, a Japanese restaurant located on San Antonio Road, has managed to adapt to the new environment because of the support of their customers. According to owner Seiko Alba, when the shelter-in-place order was instated, sales decreased to a low of 25%. After learning about these low numbers, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, two regulars at Dohatsuten, decided to reach out to the restaurant. “[Zuckerberg] said he would like to see if there is a way we could work together to both support my business and help our community through this difficult time,” Alba says. Zuckerberg and Chan provided Dohatsuten with the funding to start a lunch donation program, which provides free meals to healthcare workers and people in shelters all around the community. “Since then almost every day we’ve been delivering meals to health care workers and shelters,” Alba says. “Because of the funds, I am able to bring most of my kitchen staff back to prepare donated meals.” v
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