Small Restaurant Owners: ‘What Do We Do?’
Updated: Miami restaurant industry individuals are gathering at 11am today in front of the American Airlines Arena to protest the county's order shutting down inside dining. They're calling for better communication and a "more reasonable approach to decision making" and consistency in closings among businesses. "We have assisted in relief efforts, food distributions, sacrificed our own health and safety for the sake of the Miami community at large."
Restaurateurs, frustrated by ever-changing county orders on closing and re-opening, are expressing their exasperation in a planned protest and through online letters and petitions to local officials.
They’re taking to the streets Friday on Biscayne Blvd., sending a change.org petition to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and posting open letters calling for proof that restaurants are the source of the spike in COVID-19 cases. “Why should airlines, big box retailers, hotels, gyms, pools and other businesses continue to operate with a fraction of the safety and social distancing protocols we have diligently executed from the start?” asks 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, which includes Yardbird Southern Table and Bar.
"This second shutdown will put the final nail in the coffin for Miami-Dade’s restaurant community," says Lee Brian Schrager of SOBEWFF in a Miami Herald op-ed. Schrager, who hosted bake sales at his house to raise money for hospitality workers during the pandemic, posted an “Open Our Restaurants” graphic on social media, telling Gimenez “there is still time for you to do the right thing and keep Miami restaurants open. We want and need to be part of the solution.”
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for restaurateurs since they had to close in March at the onset of the pandemic, except for takeout and delivery. They were allowed to reopen in May, using outdoor seating and indoor tables that allowed for distancing. As Florida’s case numbers increased, the mayor announced early Monday that restaurants would once again have to close effective Wed., except for takeout and delivery. Then, by late Monday, that order was changed to allow outdoor dining.
In Broward, mayor Dale Holness said restaurants would remain open, but had to limit the amount of people per table to six and stop serving at 10pm.
Business owners are vexed. “While we completely understand the significance in the rise of COVID-19 cases, we restaurant owners feel like we're being yanked around at the drop of a hat with no real thought and consideration into what it takes to operate a restaurant and how it affects everyone from the dishwasher on up,” says Steve Santana of Taquiza. ”When we first heard the news about closing dine-in, we had to stop everything we were doing to figure out how to pivot back to pickup and delivery. Do we go back to keeping only one location open? Do we keep giving 30% commission to third-party delivery services? How many employees can we keep onboard this time? Which employees can we keep? How does this affect our PPP loan?”
Harry Coleman, who opened Empanada Harry’s in West Kendall three years ago, says he feels like the restaurants are being punished by the orders, while salons and malls are open for business. “Dolphin Mall was packed over the weekend,” he says. “New York City held off opening – but there’s no clear plan from the county.”
"Everyone is furious," says Threefold Cafe's Nick Sharp, who gathered other restaurant owners Monday in Coral Gables to address their concerns. "We’re not trying to be radical and defiant," he says. "We want to be part of the solution. Show us the plan. Most following the rules properly. It's not fair to single out restaurants."
Cries for Help
“What do we do?” asks Lisandra Alvarez of the small Chef Sucre Cafe in Coral Gables. They reopened in May with outdoor seating and takeout and found support in regular customers. “We make sure we’re doing everything right. We have to take this seriously,” she says. But the decision to move to only outdoor dining is a tough one for them – “we have three tables in the heat and the weather.”
Even worse, she says, are customers who try to come in without masks. “I see more and more selfish behavior.”
Some restaurants have taken to social media to air their grievances. “Yesterday we were shocked at the decision made to close restaurants and gyms AGAIN. Once more we were back to survival mode after barely being back open. We had just started to get our groove back after doing every single thing possible to stay afloat for the three-month closures,” read a post from Balans Brickell.
Josh Marcus of the tiny Josh’s Deli in Surfside says everyone is under stress with the on-again, off-again orders. “What it’s doing is it’s sucking out my desire to be creative,” he says. “I’m trying to look at this like a challenge.” His new idea is introducing TV dinners for takeout, with entrees like meat loaf, fried chicken, pork, plus two sides – mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, corn – “elote cut off the cob,” he says.
What Should Local Government Do?
But changing up business models constantly can be exhausting and, ultimately, ineffective in the face of mixed messages from local government. “We have worked relentlessly to open dine-in, even changing the concept to fast-casual, counter-style service, and ensure everyone's safety and well-being while dining with us,” says Santana. “When we were allowed to open for dine-in, we moved quickly to pivot to the new norm, and then when they announced dine-in would close, it just felt like a lot of wasted effort with little scientific evidence restaurant dine-in was even the culprit.”
He wants to see local government finding ways to help keep small businesses and their employees afloat,from rent relief to liveable unemployment to tax breaks. “Local government should focus on the clear "problem children" (i.e. strip clubs, clubby restaurants, private/illegal parties and gatherings) who are not following the rules, and make more of an effort to enforce the rules rather than make rash decisions which punish everyone,” he says.
