Restaurants adjust to green phase
Lansdale Borough officials working with town eateries
LANSDALE » It’s no secret that parts of Montgomery County’s hospitality industry have felt the weight of the financial constraints associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I mean it’s exhausting ... everyday something changes. It hasn’t been easy,” said Chad Rosenthal,
chef and owner of The Lucky Well in Ambler. “In Ambler, we’ve stayed open the whole quarantine with a very small crew, and we did curbside [and] delivery.”
Justin Weathers, coowner of Stove and Tap in Lansdale, agreed.
“It’s not been easy, but we are doing shockingly well thanks to community support,” he said.
Pennsylvania restrictions on restaurants in March prohibited in-person dining, only allowing carry out and delivery, to
mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.
For proprietors like Jane Keyes, owner of Tex Mex Connection in North Wales, these policies allowed her customers to patronize her business on a limited basis.
“We’re blessed with a clientele that has been supporting us so they’ve come out en masse on the few times that we’ve done the takeout events, which have enabled us to keep up with our expenses, some of them anyway,” she said.
Keyes stressed the importance of customer loyalty in a small borough.
“I think when you’re an independent business like mine is, and you’ve been in business for a long time like I have —September will be 36 years. It’s a long time— you become almost like family,” she said. “It’s more than a business relationship.”
Keyes has offered takeout opportunities on four separate occasions.
As Montgomery County adjusts to green phase allowances, restaurants across the area continue to comply with cleaning practices, distancing guidelines and protocols for personal protective equipment. Several restaurant owners have also reduced the size of their menus.
Others have been able to increase their outdoor footprint to accommodate tables.
For Weathers, that meant receiving approval from Lansdale borough officials to close nearby Wood Street on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is located at 329 W. Main St.
Rosenthal said he’s allocated about seven tables outside his restaurant on Butler Avenue in Ambler and found ways to make the best of a difficult situation.
“We’ve been really creative even with just doing it this way,” Rosenthal said “I’m out in the street cooking.”
Rosenthal added he’s tried his hand making oysters and burgers outdoors. The restaurant is also serving “batched martinis” and “batched cocktails” in a “front window” turned bar.
Assistance from area towns
For Ambler Main Street Manager Elizabeth Wahl Kunzier, working as a liaison between the borough and business community is key.
“We’ve really gone the extra mile to make sure that anything that they need is taken care of, and addressed, because we want them to survive,” Wahl Kunzier said. “We want everyone to survive, and thrive. Not just survive, we want them to thrive.”
She added that restaurant owners can go to borough staff with a variety of requests ranging from barricades to using a nearby parking space as an extended dining area. Ambler council members gave authorization to Borough Manager Mary Aversa and Chief Robert Hoffman to review requests for considerations. Wahl Kunzier stressed “public safety” as a priority.
In recent instances, officials have closed a portion of York Street to accommodate From the Boot on 110 E. Butler Ave. Dettera Restaurant & Wine Bar on 129 E. Butler Ave., is “singularly posed,” to accommodate outdoor dining with a spacious deck and alleyway, she said.
Wahl Kunzier also implored patrons to promote area restaurants on social media.
In nearby Lansdale, Borough Manager John Ernst is working to assist area restaurants.
“We are in unprecedented times, and right now while the borough is operating under an emergency declaration, we have the ability to relax some of our requirements,” Ernst said.
Ernst said the town has specific legislation surrounding outdoor dining. Restaurants looking to obtain permission will need to have adequate spacing that takes sidewalks and pedestrians into consideration.
He added several eateries have expressed interest including Stove & Tap, the West Main Diner on 805 W. Main St. and Backyard Beans on 408 W. Main St.
“So some of those establishments have presented plans for us to review, and [we’ll] help them come up with a reasonable and safe opportunity to take advantage of some outdoor dining,” he said.
Christine Hart, North Wales’ borough manager, also acknowledged the trials the dining community faces. She added that she’s learned restaurants have instituted outdoor dining space on the “rear [and/or] side of [the] property.”
“Of course we do feel their pain … whereas maybe the bakery or The Green Fork could have had maybe three tables, they’ve doubled it, but it’s still not obstructing,” Hart said. “So as long as they’re following those predetermined guidelines, we’re not making them get any kind of additional permit.”
Importance of working relationships
During an unprecedented global public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant owners and borough officials emphasized the importance of having a solid working relationship.
“It’s paramount, actually,” Hart said. “I am very blessed and fortunate to have a good business community.”
Keyes felt the same, having historically positive interactions.
“I have found the officials and North Wales borough have always been wonderful to work with, whether it’s the police department or the administrative staff in the office,” she said. “I ... always find them to be super helpful and supportive.”
Rosenthal said he appreciated assistance “if we want parking spots blocked off.” For Ernst, he said he’s on a “first name basis” with a number of merchants
“Well the borough has always
worked with us from day one ... and been our biggest supporter,” Weathers said.
What’s next?
Now that Montgomery County has been in the green phase for about two weeks, people still must adhere to state directed guidelines. Per the policies, bars and restaurants can operate at 50 percent capacity.
Economic development leaders such as Wahl Kunzier hope that area residents will open their hearts and wallets to support local restaurants.
“People are going and dining outdoors,” she said. “I don’t think very many people are going in and I think that we’re really trying to support by buying gift certificates and doing a lot of takeout.”
Nevertheless, Rosenthal said he plans on “taking it slow” and “sticking with the outdoor seating.”
“My concept, besides just having great barbecue, and a great bar is really like an experience,” he said.
Rosenthal prides his business on its signature atmosphere. He added there’s live music on “Fridays and Saturdays” and room for “dancing.”
“No one is ready for that yet,” he said.
After reopening, several states across the country saw spikes in COVID-19 cases over the past couple of
weeks, according to multiple reports.
“We don’t want to be one of these places that is a reason for what we’re seeing nationwide as a lot of these pullbacks and regulations,” Weathers said. “We just don’t want to be a part of that.”
Keyes said her restaurant is planning to reopen with limited seating indoors, on the outdoor patio and in the parking lot.
“I think our game plan is to keep our fingers crossed, and hope that things eventually go back to normal, because I don’t know how a small business like ours could survive under the constraints that are going to be put on us for the time being,” she said.
In the meantime, borough officials agreed that following protocols issued at the local, state and federal level is necessary.
“We are all very much aware of green, but nobody seems to be talking about what the next phase after green is because with green there are still a lot of restrictions,” Ernst said. “There is nothing out there that says when all of these restrictions are going to be relaxed and we can go back to business as usual.”
“So without that type of a target phase color on the horizon, we’re just gonna continue to operate the way that we are,” he continued.