Local restaurants ‘holding their own’ as they enter week 4 of carryout only

Local communities are doing their part to keep the county’s eateries open, small business owners agree.

As local restaurants enter the fourth week of carryout-only service, many owners said they’re surprised by the amount of support they’ve seen.

Gov. Eric Holcomb last month ordered restaurants across the state to close their dining rooms and switch to a carryout-only model due to the spread of COVID-19. And as Franklin and Greenwood issued stay-at-home orders for residents until May 1, and the state extended its order to at least April 20, restaurants will have to continue this model longer than expected. 

Three weeks ago, owners feared how long they could survive with the carryout-only model. The community rallied, continuing to order food and drinks.

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"If you asked me three weeks ago if I thought we would do this well with carryout, I would have said no," said Sherry Young, owner of Court Street Cafe in Franklin. "We’re doing far above what I anticipated."

The cafe fulfills several carryout order every day, she said. Court Street is also offering bulk food orders of most of its menu, including chicken salad, soups and bottled dressings, which has helped, she said.

Still, the restaurant isn’t selling as much as it was with a dine-in option. But it is selling enough to stay open until restrictions are lifted, she said.

"We are absolutely thrilled with the outpouring of support we’ve been getting from the community," Young said. "I’ve had people say, ‘I’ve been eating out more than I normally would because I have to support local.’"

Fear and uncertainly are still prevalent though, as most restaurant owners are forced to take this new normal day-by-day, she said. 

"If I get hit with some kind of a big expense, or if something happens here, I obviously don’t have any extra money," Young said. "This restaurant is my investment, and I’m going to keep it … I don’t want Franklin to lose Court Street Cafe."

Across the courthouse square at Ann’s where, traditionally, it’s tough to snag a seat at lunchtime, business has been slow since carryout-only service began. But they are holding their own, said Jim Klein, the mom-and-pop shop’s general manager.

Ann’s closed the first week after Holcomb made the announcement March 16.

"We felt we were sitting on a pin that could fall either way," Klein said. "Now, obviously, it’s nowhere near our dine-in business, but we are holding our own."

The restaurant offers carryout at the restaurant and has also partnered with GrubHub for delivery, he said. 

"With customers coming in, we’re remaining cautious," Klein said. "If they come in to place a carryout order, we ask them to wait outside or in their car."

Coffeehouse Five in Greenwood and Franklin has moved to online orders only, with pickup taking place outside its buildings, owner Brian Peters said. 

"We’re going to continue to do that as long as we can, as long as our customers want us. And they do want us," he said. "We refer to it as, people still want their caffeinated comfort, and we want to be able to provide that to them."

But while these businesses may be holding up in sales, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have to cut back significantly on staffing. More than 170,000 Hoosiers filed unemployment applications last month as a result of temporary layoffs due to COVID-19.

Court Street Cafe has just two staff members working each day, Young said. Ann’s hardly has its servers come in since there is no dining room, Klein said.

But owners remain cognizant, finding ways to give hours to those who need it most. Most of Court Street’s employees are in high school and college, so many of them are living at home now, Young said. Coffeehouse Five’s employees are also mostly part-time, with other means of income, Peters said.

"I can keep employed the ones that absolutely need the income right now," Young said. "It’s just definitely a whole new world for us."

Not every area restaurant decided to stay open during this time. RFD in Franklin, which recently opened inside the city’s historic post office, opened for carryout the weekend after Holcomb’s initial announcement, but then decided to close temporarily to help prevent further spread of the virus, owner Lesa McDaniel Talley said.

"We had concern for just how serious the COVID-19 could be, and we thought we ought to go ahead and shut down for the safety of our guests and employees," McDaniel Talley said.

As the stay-at-home orders were extended, RFD is considering reevaluating its carryout model again, she said. 

"Our particular restaurant is not set up to be a drive-thru," McDaniel Talley said. "Our major focus is on the eating experience within a unique, historical venue … We’re figuring out how we can transition to do a no-contact pickup."

So far, she doesn’t fear her businesses shutting down for good.

"Fortunately for us, we have the building, we have some capacity to be more flexible than some people who don’t own their building," she said. "It’s a difficult time for everybody."