Local restaurants 无毛视频榖ouncing back无毛视频� as pandemic continues
Kristen Ozohonish, co-owner of Ozy无毛视频檚 Bar & Grill near Clarksville, prepares cabbage rolls for delivery in April 2020 during the shutdown. (Photo courtesy of Michael Ozohonich)
Observer-Reporter
Michael and Lori Coury, pictured in June with state secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin, center, discuss how their Charleroi restaurant weathered the pandemic.
Courtesy of Solomon无毛视频檚 Seafood
Michael Williamson of Solomon无毛视频檚 Seafood said business is slowly improving at his Washington restaurant despite the pandemic continuing.
Mike Jones
Al无毛视频檚 Cafe owner Rod Ambrogi speaks during a December 2020 rally outside his restaurant protesting Gov. Tom Wolf无毛视频檚 order restricting indoor dining in Pennsylvania.
Observer-Reporter
Ben Venick, owner of Rizz无毛视频檚, poses in his Uniontown restaurant.
A year ago, restaurants and bars across Pennsylvania were closed under Gov. Tom Wolf无毛视频檚 orders in an attempt slow the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state during the winter months. Or at least they were supposed to be.
While many establishments complied with the governor无毛视频檚 nearly four-week shutdown order, some refused to close as frustration from restaurateurs boiled over while the pandemic and restrictions stifled business. Despite some hope the pandemic was easing this summer and a return to normalcy was imminent, restaurants were met with staffing issues, supply-chain delays and now record-breaking case numbers of COVID-19 thanks to the highly-contagious Omicron variant.
But with all of that happening, restaurants are slowly bouncing back after a difficult two years, while also focusing on keeping their workers and customers safe as they try to keep their doors open.
无毛视频淏usiness has been improving,无毛视频� said Michael Williamson, co-owner of Solomon无毛视频檚 Seafood in Washington. 无毛视频淚 won无毛视频檛 say it无毛视频檚 pre-pandemic (levels) just because it无毛视频檚 different. 无毛视频� It无毛视频檚 been a little more inconsistent. It无毛视频檚 been challenging, but it无毛视频檚 been improving.无毛视频�
Unlike last year when Solomon无毛视频檚 was closed through most of December per the shutdown mandate, Williamson said he has has seen a 无毛视频済reat holiday season无毛视频� this year, especially with dinning reservations and takeout orders for New Year无毛视频檚 Eve gatherings. There are no longer government requirements for customers or staff members to wear facemasks indoors, and many restaurants like Solomon无毛视频檚 are leaving those decisions up to the individual.
无毛视频淭he people who are comfortable coming out are comfortable (with the situation). 无毛视频榃e无毛视频檙e vaccinated and we无毛视频檙e going to move on with our lives.无毛视频� And there are others who are hesitant,无毛视频� Williamson said.
But they无毛视频檙e continuing their strict cleaning regiment per Centers of Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, while Williamson said they do not permit workers who are sick to come into the restaurant under any circumstances.
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e not going to muscle through it. If you don无毛视频檛 feel well, stay home,无毛视频� Williamson said. 无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 want to get sick and you don无毛视频檛 want your staff to get sick and then close down with those issues. I无毛视频檓 fatigued with concern at this time. If something like that were to happen, we would handle it.无毛视频�
Kristen Ozohonish, the co-owner of Ozy无毛视频檚 Bar & Grill near Clarksville, said their business model changed somewhat last year as they无毛视频檝e transitioned into more of a restaurant rather than a bar after remodeling during the spring-time shutdown in 2020.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e still doing pretty good. We无毛视频檝e still been pretty lucky,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 different anyway, we sell a lot more food and not as much bar business. We kind of transitioned into more of a restaurant than a bar, but we无毛视频檙e doing good.无毛视频�
With all of the recalibrating of life through the pandemic, business has also been different for Ben Venick, who owns Rizz无毛视频檚 in Uniontown. After offering take-out during the shutdowns last year, he found some customers became accustomed to that option and continued to order out despite his restaurant being open for indoor dining.
无毛视频淭ake out is still doing well. It无毛视频檚 the new normal,无毛视频� Venick said. 无毛视频淢y business of to-go went up tremendously, along with people still coming out to support us. It无毛视频檚 a win-win for me, I think.无毛视频�
But a different problem that has arisen this year is product delays for anything from takeout containers to imported tuna, which is one of his biggest sellers on the menu. The uncertainty of when delivery orders may arrive is causing uncertainty for Venick and others.
无毛视频淣ow, it无毛视频檚 not so much hoping people come through the door, it无毛视频檚 hoping we get the product through the door,无毛视频� Venick said.
Staffing, however, has not been an issue at Rizz无毛视频檚, Venick said, because he kept all of his employees on even through last year无毛视频檚 shutdowns. That allowed him to recalibrate once they were fully open again in 2021.
无毛视频淜nock on wood, we never ever lost a beat with my staff. I kept everybody on,无毛视频� Venick said. 无毛视频淎t times (we) were overstaffed. Right now, we无毛视频檙e perfect, which is a rare thing to hear.无毛视频�
Other local restaurants can无毛视频檛 say the same about their staffing.
Michael Coury, owner of RiverHouse Caf茅 in Charleroi, said they were troubled by 无毛视频渓abor issues无毛视频� after closing during the winter shutdown last year, but have slowly been getting positions filled. Unfortunately, the restaurant still has not been able open to its full pre-pandemic hours due to the labor shortage.
无毛视频淵ou see that everywhere,无毛视频� Coury said. 无毛视频淏ut it无毛视频檚 bouncing back.无毛视频�
Coury is monitoring the current surge in COVID-19 cases from Omicron and wonders if it will impact his business, either through more staffing shortages or customers staying home.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e always hopeful, but we无毛视频檙e going to have to wait to see what problems present themselves and how to react to them,无毛视频� Coury said. 无毛视频淵ou can无毛视频檛 predict the future, you just hope that it is good.无毛视频�
That uncertainty is being felt by Rod Ambrogi, the owner of Al无毛视频檚 Caf茅 in Bethel Park who publicly flaunted the shutdown orders and stayed open while encouraging other restaurateurs to do the same. This year, he无毛视频檚 more concerned about price increases, potential staffing problems and whether the ongoing pandemic will stifle business in 2022.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been decent. It scares me what may happen in the next few months, but so far things have been OK,无毛视频� Ambrogi said.
One thing most restaurant owners don无毛视频檛 have to worry about this year is another state-mandated shutdown after the governor无毛视频檚 emergency declaration powers were curtailed by the Republican-controlled legislature, which placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot that was approved by voters in May. While Wolf no longer has that power to institute a prolonged closure, the coronavirus is forcing it to happen for some establishments after a slew of restaurants in Allegheny County announced last week they were temporarily closing because of staff shortages after some workers contracted COVID-19.
That issue hasn无毛视频檛 been widespread in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
无毛视频淪o far, everyone无毛视频檚 been healthy, everyone is vaccinated,无毛视频� Ambrogi said of his staff. 无毛视频淚f they want to wear a mask, wear a mask.无毛视频�
At RiverHouse in Charleroi, Coury said one staff member who went on vacation contracted COVID-19, but that worker never came into the restaurant until after testing negative. He said they无毛视频檒l monitor any issues and react accordingly on a case-by-case basis, but so far they无毛视频檝e been fortunate.
无毛视频淓very situation is going to dictate a different reaction,无毛视频� Coury said. 无毛视频淲e have our workers do what无毛视频檚 comfortable to them.无毛视频�
Venick said he expects a similar response for his Uniontown restaurant. But he added they无毛视频檒l continue to find ways to serve their customers as the pandemic enters its third year.
无毛视频淚 cannot afford to close. I will not close,无毛视频� Venick said.
What 2022 will bring is a mystery for everyone, but Ozohonish is hopeful her eatery in Clarksville can emerge stronger after two turbulent years.
无毛视频淚 guess it can无毛视频檛 really get any worse, or at least I hope,无毛视频� Ozohonish said. 无毛视频淚 just think everyone wants everything to get back to normal, but it无毛视频檚 hard to see that happening.无毛视频�