Local restaurants 鈥榖ouncing back鈥� as pandemic continues
Kristen Ozohonish, co-owner of Ozy鈥檚 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鈥檚 Seafood
Michael Williamson of Solomon鈥檚 Seafood said business is slowly improving at his Washington restaurant despite the pandemic continuing.
Mike Jones
Al鈥檚 Cafe owner Rod Ambrogi speaks during a December 2020 rally outside his restaurant protesting Gov. Tom Wolf鈥檚 order restricting indoor dining in Pennsylvania.
Observer-Reporter
Ben Venick, owner of Rizz鈥檚, poses in his Uniontown restaurant.
A year ago, restaurants and bars across Pennsylvania were closed under Gov. Tom Wolf鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淏usiness has been improving,鈥� said Michael Williamson, co-owner of Solomon鈥檚 Seafood in Washington. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 say it鈥檚 pre-pandemic (levels) just because it鈥檚 different. 鈥� It鈥檚 been a little more inconsistent. It鈥檚 been challenging, but it鈥檚 been improving.鈥�
Unlike last year when Solomon鈥檚 was closed through most of December per the shutdown mandate, Williamson said he has has seen a 鈥済reat holiday season鈥� this year, especially with dinning reservations and takeout orders for New Year鈥檚 Eve gatherings. There are no longer government requirements for customers or staff members to wear facemasks indoors, and many restaurants like Solomon鈥檚 are leaving those decisions up to the individual.
鈥淭he people who are comfortable coming out are comfortable (with the situation). 鈥榃e鈥檙e vaccinated and we鈥檙e going to move on with our lives.鈥� And there are others who are hesitant,鈥� Williamson said.
But they鈥檙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.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to muscle through it. If you don鈥檛 feel well, stay home,鈥� Williamson said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to get sick and you don鈥檛 want your staff to get sick and then close down with those issues. I鈥檓 fatigued with concern at this time. If something like that were to happen, we would handle it.鈥�
Kristen Ozohonish, the co-owner of Ozy鈥檚 Bar & Grill near Clarksville, said their business model changed somewhat last year as they鈥檝e transitioned into more of a restaurant rather than a bar after remodeling during the spring-time shutdown in 2020.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still doing pretty good. We鈥檝e still been pretty lucky,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 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鈥檙e doing good.鈥�
With all of the recalibrating of life through the pandemic, business has also been different for Ben Venick, who owns Rizz鈥檚 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.
鈥淭ake out is still doing well. It鈥檚 the new normal,鈥� Venick said. 鈥淢y business of to-go went up tremendously, along with people still coming out to support us. It鈥檚 a win-win for me, I think.鈥�
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.
鈥淣ow, it鈥檚 not so much hoping people come through the door, it鈥檚 hoping we get the product through the door,鈥� Venick said.
Staffing, however, has not been an issue at Rizz鈥檚, Venick said, because he kept all of his employees on even through last year鈥檚 shutdowns. That allowed him to recalibrate once they were fully open again in 2021.
鈥淜nock on wood, we never ever lost a beat with my staff. I kept everybody on,鈥� Venick said. 鈥淎t times (we) were overstaffed. Right now, we鈥檙e perfect, which is a rare thing to hear.鈥�
Other local restaurants can鈥檛 say the same about their staffing.
Michael Coury, owner of RiverHouse Caf茅 in Charleroi, said they were troubled by 鈥渓abor issues鈥� 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.
鈥淵ou see that everywhere,鈥� Coury said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 bouncing back.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always hopeful, but we鈥檙e going to have to wait to see what problems present themselves and how to react to them,鈥� Coury said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 predict the future, you just hope that it is good.鈥�
That uncertainty is being felt by Rod Ambrogi, the owner of Al鈥檚 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鈥檚 more concerned about price increases, potential staffing problems and whether the ongoing pandemic will stifle business in 2022.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been decent. It scares me what may happen in the next few months, but so far things have been OK,鈥� Ambrogi said.
One thing most restaurant owners don鈥檛 have to worry about this year is another state-mandated shutdown after the governor鈥檚 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鈥檛 been widespread in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
鈥淪o far, everyone鈥檚 been healthy, everyone is vaccinated,鈥� Ambrogi said of his staff. 鈥淚f they want to wear a mask, wear a mask.鈥�
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鈥檒l monitor any issues and react accordingly on a case-by-case basis, but so far they鈥檝e been fortunate.
鈥淓very situation is going to dictate a different reaction,鈥� Coury said. 鈥淲e have our workers do what鈥檚 comfortable to them.鈥�
Venick said he expects a similar response for his Uniontown restaurant. But he added they鈥檒l continue to find ways to serve their customers as the pandemic enters its third year.
鈥淚 cannot afford to close. I will not close,鈥� 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.
鈥淚 guess it can鈥檛 really get any worse, or at least I hope,鈥� Ozohonish said. 鈥淚 just think everyone wants everything to get back to normal, but it鈥檚 hard to see that happening.鈥�