The chambers of commerce in St. Clairsville, Wheeling, and Marshall County have partnered to promote “Support Local Restaurant Day” in hopes the businesses will see an influx in revenue.
According to Erikka Storch, president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, the idea was developed by Scott Reager of the Marshall County Chamber.
“We are working on this together because the residents of this area go where they go without thinking about the borders,” Storch explained. “When it comes to the economy here in the Valley, it’s very regional because we just go to our favorite places no matter where they are.
“That’s one of things that makes this area very unique,” she said. “And we have some great restaurants, and that’s why I and Wendy Anderson from the St. Clairsville Chamber decided to join in to support an industry that has been hit very hard by COVID-19 and the restrictions that have been put into place to prevent the spread in our communities.”
The Struggle
More than 20 eateries in Ohio County are members of the Wheeling Area Chamber, Storch said, and not a single one has been able to operate normally since mid-March.
“Since our restaurants have reopened for dine-in service, I have dined in, and it has looked a lot different from the way it did before the pandemic,” she said. “Each place has been doing what works for them, but they have not been able to go about it like they used to, and that’s had a big impact. There are not a lot of places around here that can do well at 50 percent capacity, and that’s why we hope a lot of people participate.
“A lot of places have tables blocked off to allow for social distancing, and all of the employees are wearing masks and are being as careful as possible,” Storch explained. “The limited hours these places are allowed to be open right now have a big impact on their revenue. This has not been a good year for these owners and their employees.”
Corona Spikes
The recent spikes in positive coronavirus cases in Belmont, Marshall, and Ohio counties have alarmed local consumers, too, and Storch said the “Support Local Restaurant Day” may remind residents of the available services at the establishments.
“We see this as an opportunity to realize how difficult it has been on these places since we were introduced to COVID-19,” Storch said. “We’ve had closures with only take-out available, and since they were able to reopen, there have been restrictions on the number of customers allowed inside and what hours the eateries have been allowed to be open.
“The food service industry has been hit really hard this year, and we are just trying to help them right now,” she said. “It is up to the owners of the restaurants as far as what they have available that day, and whatever they decide is completely up to them. We just wanted to encourage the residents in this area to at least think about supporting these businesses.”
