Entertaining during virus
Downtown businesses adapt to protocols while still offering live music
The coronavirus has negatively affected downtown businesses over the course of a year’s time, but one aspect that has not negatively impacted businesses — namely for local restaurants — has been the entertainment they have brought in to keep business booming.
In downtown St. Marys GR8 Vines Winery and Guarnieri Pizzeria have continued to book local entertainment gigs, which owners of both places saying entertainment is still a big hit.
“I can say the local entertainment we have had so far has been a big hit and they get an audience. If the entertainment continues to be popular than we will continue to have it in here,” said GR8 Vines owners Terri and Andy Liming.
“Last year in March, when everything happened, we got our St. Patty’s day in before (the governor) closed us down on Sunday the 15th; we had ours on the 13th,” Guarnieri Pizzeria owner Angie Guarnieri said. “Since we were closed, obviously things didn’t happen (regarding entertainment) but then in May we kicked off the entertainment on the patio because the timing happened to work out because he opened us up about the same weekend we opened. As we opened up, artists began to contact us as they felt comfortable; we did whatever they were comfortable with. If they didn’t feel like playing, we didn’t ask them to play but a lot of them want to so many people have asked if they can come play at Guarnieri’s.”
And hosting entertainment while still following social distancing rules has not been an issue for either place.
At GR8 Vines, artists have a small stage in the front corner of the restaurant to perform while seating is more in the middle and back of the building. At Guarnieri’s, artists can play either inside or outside on the patio. Guarnieri said her business has an area inside — Dean Axe, who plays there regularly — has gotten a space set up for live music on the inside which has been “a big help.”
“We’ve maintained the same (feel) for the artists. We don’t really have anything different for them — we clean out an area for them like we have before, they can interact with customers as much as they want to or as little as they want to,” Guarnieri said. “We have the space to provide indoor and outdoor (dining) so no one is on top of each other. I think we’re unique because we’re so small but we make it safe for them. They don’t not come because of our limitations on space, they’re just on stage to make it happen.”
The pizzeria owner added the patio is still better because the limitations on the inside still exist and while
Gov. Mike DeWine lifted his 10 p.m. curfew, it doesn’t mean the rules changed. But with live music inside, it’s just as beneficial as it is on the outside as Guarnieri noted that it serves as a positive impact.
“Live music is great, it just brings a different mood to the whole atmosphere,” she added.
Guarnieri added that live entertainment’s impact is not as big now as it was two years ago when the restaurant brought in live music every Friday.
“That was what changed for us; meaning people knew where to go for live music, they knew that we had it in the summertime — we did a Memorial Day to Labor Day timeframe on Friday nights and it worked out really well,” she said. “People came to — I don’t want to say expect it but it just became part of what we do now.”
The Limings noted that business has been good so far as people are liking the wines, ciders, slushies and the atmosphere. Since the business only serves packaged snacks and cheese and crackers, the Limings allow people to order from any of St. Marys’ local restaurants and then eat at GR8, adding that they often find people coming in a group, getting wine and then ordering dinner and that this happens more often when they have entertainment.
“We currently have entertainment scheduled every other Saturday through April,” they said. “If everything goes well, we would like to open a patio off the south side of the building in the grass and have music out there.”
Both the Limings and Guarnieri said there is no shortage on entertainers wanting to come to their businesses.
GR8 Vines has artists reach out wanting to play, which has led to them having to schedule artists through April, and for Guarnieri, her business hosted 15 kinds of live music and 25 artists the year before.
“We’re already ramping up for this year’s St. Patty’s Day weekend, which we will celebrate the weekend before on March 12. That will kick it all off and we’ll do things after that but once the patio opens, every other Friday we’re going to try it this year,” she said. “We’re going to do it a little cautious because of COVID, not because I think it’s going to permanently affect us but I don’t want to come back with every single week right away. We usually open the patio on Mother’s Day weekend.”
While bringing in entertainment has been and still is a positive impact for downtown restaurants, it also gives restaurants more flexibility to reach more customers.
GR8 Vines is working with several businesses and wineries with the Sip and Slurp Bingo throughout Mercer and Auglaize counties in a way to get people out to visit different places.
“It is unique and I think the people that do it downtown realize that people do like entertainment and we make it as unique as possible,” Guarnieri added. “We also have the flexibility where we can have just one person or up to four people so it could be a band or a solo (artist), it could be acoustic or not, we have multiple different people who come play. It’s a way to kind of work together. I’m thrilled if C&C has a band or (GR8 Vines) winery has a band or the Friendly (Tavern), that just brings traffic downtown and it is unique to have a downtown that has places that can do that and that in itself helps all of us.”