ASHEVILLE - Jane Anderson, executive director of Asheville Independent Restaurants, said restaurant owners are "weary" heading into the winter.
They're thinking about winterizing outdoor seating, squaring away with the city rules for portable heaters. They're enduring rain that pummels the area right at prime dinner time.
"I stopped by Michel (Baudouin's Rendezvous) a couple of nights ago, and he's actually building a covered area against the building because it's raining every day at 5 p.m.," Anderson said.
Others are tightening up and reimagining restaurant spaces to diversify their revenue streams.
Adapting to COVID-19 takes capital, and many restaurants are running through their Paycheck Protection Program grants, commonly called PPP, with no further aid packages solidified by Congress.
More: North Carolina PPP loan recipients: See the full searchable list of who received them
Katie Button, who owns Cúrate with her family, said the need for a new round of funding is "urgent."
Button and her husband and business partner Felix Meana announced Aug. 27 they will not reopen Button and Co. Bagels, which sold New York-style bagels with Appalachian-influenced extras like smoked trout.
'No choice but to diversify'
"To weather the storm, we have no choice but to diversify our business model in a way that expands the Cúrate brand into the former Button & Co. Bagels space, allowing opportunities to serve our guests in new ways through La Bodega by Cúrate," Button posted on Facebook.
La Bodega was created as a way to keep revenue flowing after COVID mandates closed local restaurants to dine-in traffic.
More: What is the future of fine dining? Rezaz will close, raising a flag
There, customers can order everything from a baguette to an entire suckling pig. A wine club is on the way.
"It's a way to connect with a lot of our regulars and people who have dined with us or receive our newsletter, but aren't comfortable dining out yet, which we understand," Button said.
Cúrate, arguably one of the most well-known restaurants in Asheville, is currently operating at just 37% of last year's sales during the same time period, Button said.
If a new round of aid doesn't come quickly, the effects on the restaurant industry could be disastrous, she said.
Meanwhile, the nonpartisan and national Independent Restaurant Coalition is urging Congress to pass the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020, shorthand for Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive. If passed, it would establish a $120 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
The bill has bipartisan support, and the hope among restaurant owners is that the act will become a part of the stimulus package Congress is now negotiating.
"My concern is will they make the decision soon enough? The urgency needs to be expressed," Button said.
'The truth is, we're struggling'
The last round of PPP funding has been crucial to the restaurants that received it. But Button said the fact that many restaurants are operational because of that funding has lulled people into thinking the industry is out of the woods.
"To see us open for a month or so gives the community and officials a false sense of security that we are making it," Button said. "But the truth is, we're struggling, and the only reason we're making it is we're using PPP funding."
Restaurants are generally profitable only when they are crowded and, not only has the state mandated restaurants operate at reduced capacity, the CDC has specifically singled out dining in crowded restaurants a risky activity during the pandemic.
In North Carolina, restaurants must operate at 50% capacity until further notice.
More: Coronavirus: NC moves into Phase 2 on May 22, but more restrictions remain than expected
"We'll do whatever is needed to protect public safety, but you can't single us out ... and not give us the specific aid we need to make it through," Button said.
If more funding fails to materialize in time, it could trigger layoffs or force restaurant owners to close permanently, Button said.
"I just hope and want our government to make a decision before waiting to see the ramifications of not making a decision soon enough," Button said.
'People are tired'
AIR's Anderson said restaurant owners facing down the end of summer are feeling more than the usual pressure.
"People are tired," she said.
"Whatever your preference is, dine in, dining outdoors or takeout, support restaurants," she said. "That's the best thing people can do."
According to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a half-million independent restaurants and the 11 million jobs they support are endangered.
Learn more about the RESTAURANTS Act and send a letter to your representatives at www.saverestaurants.com.
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Mackensy Lunsford has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has been a staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times since 2012. Lunsford is a former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.
Reach me: mlunsford@citizentimes.com.
Read more: Subscribe to the Citizen Times here. Subscribe to my newsletter here.
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August 29, 2020 at 05:00PM
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Button & Co. Bagels closed; Restaurants 'struggling,' with need for aid 'urgent' - Citizen Times
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