So here we are a few days into the new unknown of the partial restaurant opening in West Virginia. As a carryout restaurant owner, I haven’t faced all the same issues as some of my fellow owners. We have been fortunate that we don’t rely on seated dining or drink sales. We only have a limited amount of space that has contact points and we can limit contact very easily. Yes, we have been above and beyond with all protocol but that is a lot easier when you don’t have seating.
I’ve heard a lot of mixed feelings about outdoor dining. Some owners are worried about the possibility of COVID-19 whether indoors or outdoors. For others, its an issue of feasibility. Is there room? Do they have the required furniture, and can that investment be made after so many weeks of sales being down?
Limited Opening
The city of Wheeling so far has received and approved the plans for five restaurants to have outdoor dining. Bridge Street Tavern in downtown at 10th and Main will have limited seating on the 10th street side of their building with hours Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wheeling Brewery will have limited hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 3:30-7 p.m. and Saturdays 2:30 to 8 p.m. and will have seating in front of their building and 2-3 meters bagged for extra room. Pickles Eatery & Bar is currently working on their plan for outside dining and will let everyone know soon when they will be opening past curbside.
River City Restaurant will be open starting on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with seating on the 14th street side of their building downtown. They will continue curbside with beer to go also. “I’m hopeful that we can open up fully soon and get back to normal serving our customers while remaining safe and positive”, commented one of the owners, Jason Miller.
Undo’s Elm Grove, Silver Chopsticks, and Generations all have large parking lots and outdoor spaces and don’t require city permission as they will be serving on their own property.
Most Staying Limited to Curbside Delivery
Others don’t have the room, it’s just not feasible, or they are staying cautious. The 19th Hole, while having a good response to curbside, will not be open up outside dining, says owner Angie Szalay. The West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (“ABCA”) is working on a “streamlined process with no fees for a restaurant to temporarily expand their floorspace to include new or expanded outdoor dining space.” but that is not yet in place. Fear of an impending meat shortage and no certain full opening date makes opening beyond curb service a gamble.
Lesley Antonik, owner of Ruttenbucks near the Highlands in Dallas Pike and in Glen Dale, W.Va., has started a positive Facebook page called Eat Local ~ Shop Local to bring together owners and community members in this uncertain time. Hours, specials, and general information are posted by participants and the vibe is incredibly positive. She considered adding outside dining to the curbside service, but the weather and uncertainty of the day-to-day COVID virus status have stopped those plans for the time being.
The Vagabond Kitchen in downtown Wheeling will be sticking with curbside also for now. Owner Matt Welsch says that the lack of room and the situation changing daily led to that decision. He has however received the Payroll Protection Program loan offered to small businesses from the federal government and intends to bring staff back to work on maintenance and cleaning such as resurfacing the tables and bars. They as well as Later Alligator, Sarah’s on Main, and the Public Market have also partnered with Grow OV to help provide meals for the Ohio County Schools food pickup. That has helped but with staff down 60% and sales down 70%, it’s been a trying time. Vagabond Kitchen will be open for curbside Wednesdays through Saturdays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Welsch is using this time to make positive changes, “doing everything better, and make the best better” is what he has been working on.
Alex Coogan, one of the owners of Eden Restaurant on Wheeling Island, said that they will likely not open beyond the curbside delivery they are doing until they can seat the restaurant at 50% capacity. As of right now, the owners are running the restaurant. Having just opened in the past year, the restaurant was gaining popularity and moving forward and hopefully will continue to do so.
So What are the Regulations?
Per the West Virginia Strong ComeBack Plan for restaurants the following guidelines for social distancing:
Outdoor dining areas must have six feet of separation from seating to seating and clear paths must be designated to allow diners to enter and exit the outdoor dining area without breaking the six feet social-distancing barriers. Party size must be limited to no more than six and enforce social distancing of those not residing together while present on such entity’s leased or owned property.
You can not allow patrons to congregate in waiting areas and must design a process to ensure separation while waiting to be seated outside or pick up their take-away order that can include ground markings, distancing, or waiting in cars. and no live music or restaurant playgrounds.
In addition to the state guidelines, Ohio County and the city of Wheeling have a permit and guidelines. The restaurant must file for a Right of Way permit and include their plan for seating if they will be utilizing city property such as sidewalks or bagged parking meter spaces for extra room. They will also need to provide an insurance certificate to cover the extended area of restaurant operation. Mayor Glenn Elliott has stated, “I know that many of our local restaurants are hurting right now, and so we are trying to be as flexible as we can be in facilitating greater outdoor seating capacity during the early stages of the Governor’s re-opening plan. We hope that restaurant owners will take advantage of this opportunity,”
Howard Gamble from the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department shared some additional information. “We also linked up with the City of Wheeling for businesses that did not have outdoor options but wanted to start. Customers can use the in-house restrooms, but can not wait in the facility. The outdoor area does have to be NOT connected to the in-house heating and cooling system. The one issue we have is the weather, if it rains, snows or comes to a storm, it is outdoor dining and we can’t move indoors.”
The Takeaway
While most are positive about moving forward, there are several issues looming ahead for the restaurant business. One of those issues is the worry about another shutdown and what that means for business. Many suffered food waste and loss from that issue because of the abrupt call for a shutdown. So many items just couldn’t be used fast enough to prevent spoilage.
Can the business make rent and cover utilities? Not all have received the PPP, in fact, many I have heard from have not. Restaurant chains used loopholes to take advantage of the first round of funding leaving the little guys to flounder.
The resounding issue that keeps coming up is getting employees to return. With some businesses at 50% staff and some as low as only having 10% of their staff currently working, will those employees come back? With unemployment plus the $600 from the government, how can small businesses compete? The margin of profit in foodservice is slim to begin with unless incredible price raises happen. Then no one eats out. It’s a Catch-22 for this American Dream.
Governor Jim Justice has warned that if there is work, you have to go back. Some are scared, some are worried about not enough hours with a limited comeback, some need to care for family, and some are just not wanting to work with the extra money coming in from the stimulus.
What Happens Next in the Restaurant Industry?
Some restaurants around the country have added groceries to their empty dining areas in hopes of keeping people employed and keeping the bills paid. Most are afraid of risking a move like that. Once the dining areas open, where does that stock go? Third-party delivery companies are getting business but the amount of money they take can be unsustainable for some restaurants.
Most are soldiering on in the hopes that there won’t be a resurgence. They have adapted. That’s what they have always done in the ever-changing world of food. Prices go up, prices go down, industries come and go, populations decrease, and those that can hold on to what they’ve worked so hard to accomplish deserve every bit of praise possible. Please show them your continued support and enjoy the great food our valley has to offer.
Corrected to say the the 19th Hole will not have open air dining.
