Running a restaurant during a global pandemic is no small task, and not every local business was setup to transition to carryout only when Governor Tony Evers’ safer-at-home order went in place.
Many chose to close their doors and see how the COVID-19 outbreak would play out. Now that society has a better understanding of the coronavirus, some local restaurants are getting back behind the counter.
Luke’s Deli, Looking Glass and Milwaukee Grill are among the Janesville restaurants planning to re-open in the coming days and weeks.
Luke Karrels closed Luke’s Deli on March 26, in part because of employee fears about the unknowns of COVID-19. Some needed to provide their own childcare, others were concerned about potential exposure.
“A lot of places in town are working shoulder-to-shoulder. That’s the way it is in a restaurant,” Karrels said. “What if someone got sick? What if someone passed away? That’s the concern I’ve had in the back of my mind that’s kept me awake at night.”
He spent the last month wondering if he made the right decision to close, as other restaurants remained open and kept paying their workers. He also completely redecorated their interior, cleaned out the kitchen and opened up their carryout window.
Now, Karrels feels more confident in the guidelines put in place by the health department, and his employees are ready to get back to work, starting Friday.
Looking Glass owner Matt Schreier had similar concerns when shuttering his bar and restaurant on March 16. He followed guidance from the Tavern League of Wisconsin and didn’t want to risk exposing his staff or customers to COVID-19.
The closure has given him time to work out how they can still be profitable as a carryout-only establishment while keeping his employees as safe as possible.
The governor’s order allows bars to sell alcohol to-go, so long as it’s prepackaged beverages that are not consumed on the premises.
Schreier is looking into selling growlers of a handful of their draft beers, and he’s considering offering six-packs of select beverages.
“I don’t want to step on the liquor stores’ toes trying to sell bottles of booze,” Schreier said. “I can work with my distributors and find out what the local liquor stores are getting and say, ‘What can I offer that might be a little bit different?'”
Like most the re-opening restaurants, Looking Glass will be offering a limited menu, and Schreier is shooting for May 13 to start selling to customers again.
Milwaukee Grill began its carryout service on Wednesday. Manager Joe Whitney said they won’t allow customers into the building to order, but they’ve labeled their parking spaces to coordinate curbside pickups.
All orders will be taken over the phone, and they’re asking customers to call when they arrive, to have their food brought out to them.
The Janesville restaurants are hoping to receive the same support many community members have shown to the establishments that had an easier time staying open from the start of the pandemic.
“I do think that there has been a shift in thinking toward a more local economy,” Schreier said. “I think that’s one thing that will come out of this pandemic: more local support in every avenue of purchasing.”
