Western Pa. restaurants prepare for expanded dining options, cope with losses

On Thursday morning, restaurateur Erin Connelly prepared for her most important staff meeting in months. After being limited to takeout options during the coronavirus shutdown, the Cornerstone Restaurant and Bar in Aspinwall soon can commence limited dining options.

Connelly was hesitantly excited.

“People are scrambling,” she said. “It’s hard to get super prepared when you don’t know exactly what’s expected of you.”

Now that Gov. Tom Wolf has announced restaurants in the yellow-phase counties can proceed with outdoor dining June 5, many local establishments are starting to regroup, preparing to bring back employees and expand their options. They’re formulating a plan for new safety measures — and they’re also crossing their fingers that Western Pennsylvania soon will move to the green phase, allowing indoor dining as well.

John Huemme, owner of Sharky’s Café in Latrobe, said Sharky’s and its sister restaurant, The Pier, are well-prepared for outdoor dining. The Pier has enough outdoor seating for 200 people at full capacity — so even with limited capacity, Huemme said, the eased restriction will allow a major increase in business.

“We’re super excited about the outdoor dining, and that’s basically what The Pier has been created for,” he said.

At Bird Dog’s Sports Bar & Grill in Harrison, owner Ashley Daniels is looking forward to opening the restaurant’s patio for customers. She said they are going to space the tables out to promote social distancing, and follow the governor’s guidelines about how to share condiments and disposable menus.

Bird Dog’s had to close for an entire month at the start of the pandemic, later reopening for takeout and delivery. Still, Daniels said many employees were laid off.

“It’s been terrible,” she said. “But we’re glad to finally get some start toward the end.”

Jeanine DeGennaro, owner of DeGennaro’s Restaurant and Lounge in South Greensburg, said she plans on waiting to see if the region moves to green before she opens her outdoor seating area. The restaurant currently has a takeout menu.

“I was excited to a degree, but until people can come in and be in here and be normal, it’s just not going to be the same,” she said.

Overall, most restaurateurs in the region are relieved to be moving forward in some measure.

Huemme said Sharky’s has seen 15% to 20% growth for the past two years, and 2020 looked no different at the beginning of this year. But since the pandemic gained traction in the region, Huemme said he had to lay off up to 85% of his staff, keeping only the managers and employees needed for takeout and delivery services. He later brought back some bartenders when Wolf allowed takeout alcohol orders.

“We’re in a luckier situation in that we do have a large outdoor venue, so it was definitely a relief for us,” he said. “For restaurants that don’t have that capacity, I’m sure they’re still concerned and they still have a lot of wonder and worry.”

Now, turning a profit is hardly even a goal. But the chance to seat customers in any capacity is at least a step forward, Huemme said, something to “keep our head above water.”

Connelly said Cornerstone also had been thriving in January and February; 2020 had been shaping up to be a great year. She had to lay off between 80% and 85% of her staff, and the restaurant is missing out on key revenues during the spring — typically her busiest season.

Still, Connelly considers herself lucky — Cornerstone’s building is owned by her family and she doesn’t have any outstanding debts to worry about at this time. She worries more about the pandemic’s lasting impact on the local restaurant industry.

Even in the green phase, in an industry with razor-thin margins, operating at 50% capacity indoors will not be enough for most restaurants to turn a profit, she said. She knows that many people still won’t feel safe dining in a public place for a long time, either. One way or another, Connelly said, business will be slow to return.

Several businesses in Western Pennsylvania have closed down altogether amid the pandemic — including JG’s Tarentum Station Grille and The Olde Spitfire Grille in Greensburg. It’s unclear when and if some of those businesses will reopen.

Melissa Bova, vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, said restaurants have been “decimated” by the lockdown like no other industry.

Connelly agreed.

“It is scary to think about a couple years from now,” she said. “I just think that everybody is going to be different.”