Contributing Writers: Linda Kavanagh and Deborah Smith
The big question, what will Summer 2020 be like for restaurants and their customers?
In the Tri-State area, Connecticut restaurants were the first to dip their toe into the first phase of reopening. No sooner did restaurants start adapting to take-out and delivery practices, did a whole new layer of parameters and safety protocols cause restaurateurs to reinvent themselves, reconfigure and create their outdoor dining spaces, and implement a public health and safety program that continues to evolve.
CONNECTICUT
Milford Sports Pub & Grill, a large high-octane sports bar, revolves around sports 24/7 and an energized crowd filling up space at 200 capacity. When Covid-19 rolled into town, shutting down the restaurants as well as sporting events, Owner John Romano decided to close his restaurant and forego the take-out and delivery option.
Having just opened in September of 2019, the restaurant had not yet created its patio space. When the opportunity to reopen presented itself, John and his team seized the moment, and its massive private parking lot (total capacity 150) and created a make-shift patio with a variance signed off on by the town of Milford. In addition to table, chair and umbrella set-ups, the parking lot patio was adorned with beer brand signage along the fencing and games such as corn hole and giant Connect Four. The restaurant also added take-out and delivery to their reopening offerings.
Romano says in addition to the obvious challenges of running food and drink through the restaurant to the outdoor dining area, and being at the mercy of the weather, the safety protocols in place are many and as he and his team take these steps quite seriously, the labor time and costs involved add up. Boxes of gloves, cleaning products, masks, and shields, plus redundant labor performing singular tasks, drives the operational costs way up.
“Gloves, masks, safe spacing, and sanitization go without saying,” says Romano, “We go a step further. When a customer arrives, we take their temperature, spritz them with hand sanitizer, give them a mask if they do not have one, and ask them in general how they are feeling. This enhances their overall comfort level making their dining experience more relaxed and enjoyable.”
The Racanelli Restaurant Group, comprised of Lugano in Greenwich, Spiga in New Canaan, and Molto in Fairfield, were tasked with adapting their spaces to state, town, and space limitations. Both Lugano and Spiga worked with their towns to extend sidewalk space and add parking lot variances to allow for additional table space.
“It’s a nice amenity for guests,” says Partner Rose Dionne, “and a small stop-gap until the indoor half capacity next phase begins, but the costs and labor involved to adhere to the safety protocols and to be at the mercy of the weather doesn’t move the needle as far as being back in business. We are looking forward to opening up indoors and having both dining options available for our guests and bring the number of covers back up.”
Molto was fortunate to have existing patio space and the ability and blessing from the town and the landlord to extend its dining capacity. Adhering to every detail of state guidelines including appropriate safety equipment and measures, Molto implemented touchless menu and payment options, as well as strict monitoring of their staff’s health, taking their temperatures upon the start of each shift, recognizing that both the restaurant and the consumer owe it to one another to be mindful.
“We are thrilled to be able to see our customers, no matter the limitations,” says Partner Dan Camporeale, “These challenges will be with us for a while. All we can do is what all our restaurants strive to do every day, provide a safe, relaxed, and enjoyable dining experience – and a little escape in these challenging times.”
LONG ISLAND
On Long Island, in the Village of Westhampton Beach, Sydney’s Taylor Made Restaurant and Gourmet Market will be adding five additional tables for outdoor dining. Guests will have a choice of seating on the front porch, around the fire pit or at tables on the front lawn, all while maintaining the requirement for social distancing.
“I applied for a new permit and on the following day the Westhampton Beach Village Mayor, trustees and building inspector expedited the permit and site visit, all in order to support me as a local business reopening in a way that is good for us and our customers,” says Erin Finley, Owner of Sydney’s Taylor Made.
She adds, “About service, we’ll be conforming to the state mandates and continue following sanitation rules. I have had some difficulty getting some of the PPE supplies. I now have only one person at the register and three additional staff where we used to have minimally six staff. In addition to scheduling time for service, I’m now adding time for front-of-house prep work.
I also am encountering a different level of appreciation during this time when our service includes constant disinfecting and sanitizing in between customers. A lot of people don’t realize the state mandate to use less staff- a minimal amount of staff- to operate the business. And we have more residents since March, so we’ve been open seven days a week when normally we would have been open only four days.
Our goal is to provide our excellent service and we are looking forward to phase three so we can open our indoor dining, even at reduced capacity.”
Since 1971, Robke’s in Northport has drawn a local crowd for hearty Italian meals.
Lou Selvaggio, Owner of Robkes, plans to continue to provide the community with delicious food from an atmosphere that is safe for both customers and staff.
“What’s great for our business model is that we don’t have to change anything at all in our everyday cooking. Still cook simple and fresh food. Some minor details change. Disposable menus. Individual condiments. Masks for all employees. But for us, we feel honored to have all the support we have had throughout all of this and know just how much people trust us, rely on our cooking, and appreciate value. We feel that the things people are stressing now about cleanliness and safety have always been important and are things we’ve always done!” says Selvaggio.
At City Cellar American Modern in Westbury executive chef and partner, Michael Abbatiello puts a global twist on American cuisine, making the high-end restaurant’s menu unlike anything you’ll find on Long Island.
“We are extremely excited that we are doing service on our patio. We have a large occupancy of almost 100 guests. Each table on our patio is spaced between six to eight feet apart to make the guest be at ease. Included in our roll-ups which hold our silverware is an anti-bacterial wipe which allows each guest to re-wipe their silverware or plate ware if they choose so. Our guests must enter the building with a mask and wear it until they reach their table. Our complete staff has a mask and gloves at all times. Our menus are completely disposable and are discarded after each order. We are a reservation only patio to control the pace of the day as well,” says Michael Abbatiello.
Jessica Marrone, Assistant Manager at Sangria 71 in Commack posted outdoor dining arrangements on Facebook and a conversation began with, “We would go! But where would you park?” Jessica answered, “there’s parking in the front of the restaurant and in the back. We will not be utilizing valet services at the moment.” Post, “Looks great but tables need umbrellas wouldn’t want to sit directly in the boiling sun while I eat. The food is great here though!” She answered, “we are putting up a tent and such for opening day.”
NEW JERSEY and PENNSYLVANIA
With “Fresh To Table” as their motto, the Harvest Bistro in Madison strives to maintain an optimal level in food and in service. Using locally grown produce and the choicest ingredients available, quality is the most recognized trait of this town favorite.
“I am a firm believer that working together with your fellow business owners brings everyone up. After the forced shut down of dine-in service, we invited a local coffee company who was in a bind to come into our restaurant and use our facility free of charge. This went a long way with our neighbors in town, so much so that a store adjacent to us offered their sidewalk to us to use for expanded seating. Work together with other businesses in your community so that everyone wins. We are all in this together,” said Tushar Patel, owner of Harvest Bistro.
Monmouth County’s Bell Market is a food hall helmed by restaurant chefs Richard J. Corbo, Chad Spencer and sommelier Chantelle Corbo of RBC Hospitality Group, as well as acting as a multi-purpose gathering place for the residents and visitors of Central New Jersey.
“Our guests at Corbo & Sons can dine with us outdoors, but we will still remain a digital-only experience. Guests simply place their orders online or over the phone, come to the Bell Market pickup counter, and they can enjoy dinner and drinks outside on the beautiful roof-top deck at Bell Works. Each pizza box is sealed with a tamper-proof sticker, utensils and napkins are individually packaged and all bags stapled shut. Guests can re-order drinks online or call us to place the order for refills and we run it out to the deck. The guests dispose of everything when they are done, and our team will clean and disinfect the table and chairs when the guest leaves. We feel it is important to remain a digital-only experience through this first phase of re-opening, to protect our team and our customers,” Chantelle Corbo, Beverage Director & Partner, Bell Market in Holmdel.
B2 Bistro is meeting the demands of their businesses in North Brunswick, Point Pleasant Beach, Red Bank and West Reading, PA.
“Restaurants need to stay true to their concept,” said Stephen Valentine, Managing Partner, B2 Bistro + Bar. “Our loyal guests are coming back to our restaurants with the expectations of having a true B2 experience but they also want to feel safe. All of our servers were given extensive training on everything from where to stand tableside, how to place things on the table, how to refill water glasses, etc. Restaurants should not leave their servers’ actions up to chance. Communicate through social media and email to your customers the steps you are taking to keep them safe and make them comfortable.”
