For many restaurants, coming winter means return of uncertainty
The spring months were challenging for Victor Mathieu’s restaurant, Fiesta on Main.
The Stamford mainstay’s former owners, Mathieu’s in-laws, had never endured anything like the slowdown caused by COVID-19. They could give no advice, because the situation was unprecedented.
“My mother-in-law and my father-in-law, who have been in the restaurant industry for 20-plus years, they’ve never seen anything like it in regard to constantly just having to readjust your business plan,” said Mathieu.
Months have passed since the initial blow that drew Stamford eaters inside and away from beloved neighborhood eateries like Fiesta. Since then, expansions in outdoor dining and other initiatives helped many restaurants stay afloat.
But now a new problem looms after months of adapting: the coming winter.
“Summer gave us an opportunity where we could really make a plan and abide by a plan,” said Mathieu.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week that the state would enter Phase Three of its coronavirus reopening plan in early October. For restaurants, that means that they can operate at 75 percent capacity indoors, up from the current 50 percent.
That’s good news, but the incoming cold has Mathieu feeling like he’s back in March or April. Gone is the sense of stability that outdoor dining brought about after the pandemic’s initial months of playing it by ear.
“Long term plans are kind of difficult,” said Mathieu. “We’re not sure what the returning customer demand is going to look like.”
Some restaurants, Fiesta on Main included, put up tents over the summer to create a more intimate outdoor environment. While Fiesta has since taken down theirs, other eateries are eyeing these amenities for the colder season.
But the issue with items like tents and outdoor heaters is getting a return on the initial investment.
“Frankly, you know, it’s borderline in terms of whether or not it’s justifiable from the cost perspective versus what they’ll get in return,” said David Kooris, president of Stamford’s Downtown Special Services District.
Kooris’ team has worked with local restaurants throughout the pandemic, walking them through the permitting process for outdoor dining. He also worked to expand where restaurants could have seats outside through larger outdoor patios.
From a public health perspective, Kooris deems eating outdoors in a tent comparable to indoor dining. He is unsure whether customers will find it any safer.
Experts, too, are unsure how effective tent seating will be.
Amanda Meyer, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, said that she wouldn’t be quick to eat in a tent, particularly if it were enclosed.
“You’re kind of missing that airflow of getting fresh air circulating that we obviously have the benefit of when you’re actually outdoors,” said Meyer.
For Peter Valis, owner of Kouzina and Tomato Tomato in Stamford, the benefits of heaters seem marginal.
“They’re really not putting out enough heat to really keep it warm enough to sit outside,” said Valis.
Heaters radiate a tiny aura of warmth for Tomato Tomato in Shippan, but Valis decided to forgo both heaters and tents at Kouzina, located Downtown.
People want to sit under stars or bask in the sunlight if they’re outdoor dining, according to Valis. Obstructions to that just ruin the ambiance.
Valis thinks people are slowly growing more comfortable with eating inside again, especially as the weather chills. For those scared to eat inside, he’s hoping to ride out the remaining warm days with Stamford’s StrEATeries program.
The initiative shuts down main roads in the Downtown district to create more space for outdoor dining.
But Valis is unsure what the coming months hold for his two restaurants. Especially if cases in the city were to spike, the situation could turn grim.
“We don’t know what to expect. We’re kind of just taking it day by day, hoping that things get better,” said Valis. “I spoke with other restaurateurs in the area, we all kind of feel the same.”