For restaurants that survived COVID-19, an uncertain road
Pre-pandemic, 10% of Connecticut’s workforce was in restaurants. Since COVID-19 at least 600 of the state’s restaurants have closed and tens of thousands remain unemployed. For those still open, the road ahead is still uncertain. In PBS Newshour Weekend’s Roads to Recovery series, Christopher Booker visits three restaurants with very different stories.
>> Sreenivasan: CONTINUING OUR
"ROADS TO RECOVERY" SERIES, WE
TURN TO FOOD AND JOBS.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'’S COVID-19
RELIEF PLAN INCLUDES $28.6
BILLION IN GRANTS TO
RESTAURANTS, AN INDUSTRY HIT
HARD BY EXTENDED CORONAVIRUS
SHUTDOWNS.
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, 10% OF
CONNECTICUT'’S WORKFORCE WAS TIED
TO THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, BUT
IN THE LAST YEAR, HUNDREDS OF
RESTAURANTS HAVE CLOSED AND TENS
OF THOUSANDS REMAIN UNEMPLOYED.
AND EVEN WITH RELIEF ON THE WAY,
THE ROAD AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE MANAGED TO HOLD ON IS STILL
UNCERTAIN.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER VISITS THREE
FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESTAURANTS
WITH THREE VERY DIFFERENT
STORIES.
THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR
ONGOING SERIES: "CHASING THE
DREAM: POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY
IN AMERICA."
>> Reporter: WHEN THIS IS ALL
SAID AND DONE, JOHN NEALON AND
HIS BUSINESS PARTNER/WIFE MORGAN
NEALON, COULD WELL BE A CASE
STUDY IN HOW A RESTAURANT-- AND
A MARRIAGE-- SURVIVES A
PANDEMIC.
MAYBE.
>> IT'’S BEEN CRAZY, MAN.
WE HAD A BABY IN MARCH, THE
RESTAURANTS WENT INTO FULL, YOU
KNOW, SHUT DOWN, TAKE OUT ONLY
ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF LATER.
>> Reporter: IN MARCH, WHEN THE
SHUTDOWNS ARRIVED, THE NEALON'’S
BUSINESS WAS JUST FIVE MONTHS
OLD.
THEY WERE FORCED TO FURLOUGH
MUCH OF THEIR STAFF AND QUICKLY
MOVE TACO DADDY FROM A PLACE
WHERE PEOPLE GATHERED FOR FOOD
AND DRINKS TO A TAKEOUT
RESTAURANT.
IT DIDN'’T WORK VERY WELL.
>> IT WAS BAD FOR US.
>> Reporter: TAKEOUT WAS?
>> HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE.
>> Reporter: BUT A YEAR LATER,
TACO DADDY IS STILL STANDING
THROUGH A COMBINATION OF
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, LUCK AND
INGENUITY.
THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM,
P.P.P., WHICH WAS PART OF THE
BAILOUT BILL PASSED IN MAY OF
LAST YEAR, PROVIDED THE YOUNG
RESTAURANT A $225,000 LIFE LINE.
>> THE FIRST P.P.P. SAVED
EVERYBODY.
YEAH.
INCLUDING US.
>> WE OPENED THIS WITH OUR
LITERAL LAST DIME.
SO, IT WAS LIKE WE HAD NO EXTRA
CAPITAL TO PUSH BACK INTO THIS
IF WE DIDN'’T GET THAT.
>> Reporter: BUT THEY DID HAVE A
LARGE SPACE AND A FLEXIBLE
LANDLORD.
WITH A RELIEF ON RENT AND THE
P.P.P. LOAN, THE NEALONS WERE
ABLE TO TRANSFORM THEIR 5,500
SQUARE FOOT DINING AREA, GIVING
TACO DADDY AN ENVIABLE AMOUNT OF
SOCIAL DISTANCE WIGGLE ROOM.
>> WE'’RE LUCKY WE HAVE 5,500
THAT WE CAN SPREAD TABLES OUT
AND THEN WE GOT THE DIVIDERS
GOING INTO THE FALL, BUT YOU
KNOW, A LOT OF RESTAURANTS WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT IS 50%
CAPACITY WHEN YOU'’RE 1,000
SQUARE FEET?
RIGHT.
THERE'’S FOUR TABLES LIKE TWO
TABLES.
AND WHAT DO YOU GOT?
>> Reporter: WHILE TACO DADDY IS
STILL STANDING, MANY RESTAURANTS
IN C.T. AND AROUND THE COUNTRY -
ARE NOT.
SCOTT DOLSCH IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE CONNECTICUT
RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
HE SAYS AT LEAST 600 RESTAURANTS
HAVE CLOSED IN CONNECTICUT, AND
TENS OF THOUSANDS REMAIN
UNEMPLOYED.
>> WE HAD 160,000 EMPLOYEES PRE-
COVID, 10% OF OUR STATE'’S
WORKFORCE.
WE KNOW ABOUT 85,000+ OF THOSE
WENT ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN THOSE
FIRST TWO WEEKS.
IT WAS A DARK TIME, AND WE'’VE
BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO GET THEM
BACK, I THINK WE GOT UP TO ABOUT
125, AND 27 IN THE HEIGHT OF
SEPTEMBER OF OUTDOOR DINING, BUT
THEN WE SAW ANOTHER DIP.
>> Reporter: LIKE OTHER PLACES,
THROUGH THE SUMMER, CONNECTICUT
STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS
ALLOWED FOR THE EXPANSION OF
OUTDOOR DINING, GIVING MANY
RESTAURANTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE
IN DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS, MUCH
NEEDED SOCIAL DISTANCE SPACE.
AND FOR THE OUT OF WORK,
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT THEN OF COURSE THE WINTER
CAME.
ACCORDING TO CONNECTICUT'’S
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BETWEEN
OCTOBER AND DECEMBER,
CONNECTICUT LOST 6,700 JOBS IN
LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY, PUTTING
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT 20% BELOW WHERE
IT WAS ONE YEAR EARLIER.
>> THESE WINTER MONTHS HAVE BEEN
SOME OF THE TOUGHEST TIMES FOR
THEM.
OUR INDUSTRY WORKS OFF OF VERY
THIN MARGINS.
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR A
RESTAURANT IS A 4-6% PROFIT
MARGIN.
SO, WHEN YOU'’RE DOWN 30, 40% FOR
AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME,
LIKE, THAT'’S BLEEDING MONEY OUT.
>> Reporter: BUT SOME
CONNECTICUT RESTAURANTS DIDN'’T
EVEN GET AN OUTDOOR BUMP.
>> FOR US, BECAUSE WE'’RE NOT
DOWNTOWN, WE'’RE ON THE OUTSKIRTS
OF TOWN, IT'’S A LITTLE
DIFFERENT.
>> Reporter: COREY FALCONE RUNS
SUNNY AND FRANKIE'’S ON THE EDGE
OF STAMFORD WITH HIS WIFE AND
BROTHER-IN-LAW.
ON THE VERY DAY THAT WE VISITED
THEY HAD JUST GOTTEN THEIR FIRST
P.P.P. LOAN-- ALMOST A YEAR INTO
THE CRISIS.
FOR FALCONE, THIS INFLUX OF CASH
WILL HOPEFULLY BE ENOUGH TO GET
THEM TO THE FINISH LINE, WHICH
HE SAYS WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN HE
SEES PEOPLE CROWDED AROUND HIS
BAR.
>> IT'’S ALL ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE
BACK TO THE RESTAURANTS AND
DRINKING, AND I DON'’T MEAN
DRINKING TO EXCESS.
I MEAN JUST DRINKING,
CONGREGATING, WATCHING GAMES,
TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
THAT'’S WHAT IT'’S ALL ABOUT, BUT
UNTIL THEY DO THAT, IT'’S STILL
GOING TO BE DIFFICULT.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE
INDICATIONS THAT THIS MIGHT NOT
BE FAR OFF.
AT COLUMBUS PARK TRATTORIA IN
DOWNTOWN STAMFORD, OWNER AND
MANAGER MICHAEL MARCHETTI IS
SEEING A RETURN OF SOME FAMILIAR
FACES.
>> I'’M SEEING CUSTOMERS THAT
HAVE GOTTEN THEIR SECOND VACCINE
AND THEY'’RE COMING OUT AND
THEY'’RE COMING OUT IN DROVES.
>> Reporter: THAT MUST FEEL LIKE
EVEN MORE THAN A GLIMMER OF HOPE
WHEN YOU'’RE SEEING NOW THE
VACCINE.
>> NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR MY
STAFF, YOU KNOW.
THEY GET DISCOURAGED.
I'’VE CUT HOURS, I'’VE CUT SO MANY
HOURS, I DON'’T KNOW HOW, HOW
MUCH MORE I COULD CUT.
AND THE STAFF HAS BEEN WONDERFUL
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY KNOW
THIS IS NOT THIS IS NOT ME
TRYING TO BE CHEAP, BUT IT'’S,
IT'’S ABOUT SURVIVAL.
>> Reporter: BUT DESPITE THE
RETURN OF SOME OF HIS REGULARS,
THERE ARE INDICATIONS THE
ECONOMIC DAMAGE FROM THE
PANDEMIC AND THE TRICKLE DOWN
IMPACT ON MARCHETTI'’S
RESTAURANT, MIGHT BE PERMANENT.
WORK HAS CHANGED, PEOPLE ARE
WORKING FROM HOME MORE AND MORE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'’S A LOT OF
WHITE COLLAR JOBS HERE.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THOSE
CORPORATE CUSTOMERS WILL COME
BACK OR, DON'’T KNOW?
>> THEY HAVE TO COME BACK,
PLEASE?
I MEAN, WE'’VE HAD P.P.P. TWICE.
ALL THINGS EQUAL, WE'’RE JUST
COVERING OUR EXPENSES-- BARELY,
BARELY.
>> Reporter: BUT JUST DOWN THE
ROAD AT TACO DADDY, EVEN WITHOUT
THE PROMISE OF CORPORATE OFFICES
FILING BACK UP, HOPE SEEMS TO
SPRING ETERNAL.
JOHN AND MORGAN NEALON HAVE
OPTED TO OPEN A SECOND
RESTAURANT RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO
TACO DADDY.
OPENED IN SEPTEMBER, THE LILA
ROSE COCKTAILS AND TAPAS BAR HAS
BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACE
AND COVID-SPECIFIC PROTECTIONS
IN THE LEASE.
IF THERE'’S A RESTRICTION ON
INDOOR SEATING, THEY DON'’T HAVE
TO PAY THE FULL RENT.
>> WE'’RE IN THIS BUSINESS TO BE
CREATIVE.
WE'’RE IN THIS BUSINESS, LIKE,
KEEP DOING SOMETHING TO KEEP
PUSHING AND FIGURING OUT WHAT
WE'’RE CAPABLE OF AND WHAT PEOPLE
LIKE AND WE NEVER STOP DOING
THAT.
IM NOT TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A
HERO HERE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,
BUT IT'’S, IT REALLY WAS JUST,
LIKE, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'’RE
GOOD AT, STAY FOCUSED.
>> LIKE, EVENTUALLY THIS THING
HAS GOT TO WRAP UP.
AND THEN WHERE YOU, LIKE, WHAT
YOU'’VE DONE DURING THIS TIME IS
EITHER GOING TO PUT YOU AHEAD OR
LEAVE YOU DEAD IN THE WATER.
>> Reporter: THE NEALON'’S MAY
FIND OUT IF THEIR GAMBLE PAYS
OFF SOON.
CONNECTICUT'’S GOVERNOR RECENTLY
ANNOUNCED THAT RESTAURANTS WOULD
BE ABLE TO RETURN TO FULL
CAPACITY THIS COMING FRIDAY.
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