Restaurants in Connecticut were finally allowed to welcome back customers for indoor dining last week, but eateries in the north-central region say patrons appear to be in no rush to return to business as usual.
Many owners and managers who spoke in recent days said that while sales are climbing, most diners still prefer takeout or eating outside, indicating that many view indoor dining as a risky option in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Café Aura, located at 45 E. Center St. in Manchester, began accepting takeout orders on Mother’s Day. General manager Marcus Lehofer said business has been a little bit slower than usual, likely due to residents still being hesitant to come out.
“It’s been nothing crazy, just steady during lunch and dinner hours,” Lehofer said.
The restaurant does not offer outdoor dining, but began indoor service Wednesday at the start of Phase 2 of Connecticut’s economic reopening plan. It’s open Monday through Wednesday, 4 to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m.
In a promotional video posted to their website, Café Aura managers said they are taking employees’ temperatures daily, instituting strict social distancing requirements, and process all payments electronically. Patrons can also scan the restaurant’s menu and wine list using an app on their smartphones.
In Vernon, the iconic Rein’s Deli has seen a sharp decline in indoor dining business compared to pre-shutdown numbers, general manager Russell DiBella said.
“It’s not even close,” he said Friday, adding that the deli is getting 30 percent of the business it did this time last year.
About 45 to 50 percent of the business comes from the restaurant’s dining room, he said, which is down to 15 percent since indoor dining reopened. The other 85 percent came from takeout, but overall business is still down by about 70 percent, he said.
The only way to increase business “is to market to our clientele how we’re operating and the guidance we’re following so they know it’s a safe place to eat,” he said, noting the restaurant’s reputation for food quality and service.
Destina Demos, who co-owns the nearby Vernon Diner with her husband Theodoros, said business has been down there, too.
“It’s not extremely busy, not the same like it was before,” she said.
Demos said more than half of the customer base has come back to dine inside the deli, or about two-thirds of what it was prior to the shutdown.
“Right now I think everybody’s afraid,” she said, adding that service and quality of food have remained the same. She is hopeful more customers will come back over time.
At Vernon’s Wood-n-Tap, a popular statewide chain owned by the Hartford Restaurant Group, general manager Doreen Hoctor said the restaurant is “still doing a tremendous amount of takeout as opposed to people coming in” since the Phase 2 reopening began.
Hoctor said Friday that “people are starting to come out” and enjoy being inside the restaurant, but the bar area remains closed per state policy.
Burtons Grill & Bar at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor reopened its patio for outdoor dining on May 28, said general manager Ruby Martin. The restaurant already had a large outside area to keep patrons six feet apart, and it was able to expand the patio further, adding seven additional tables.
Martin said the phone has been “ringing off the hook” to secure reservations, because only two parties can be seated every 10 minutes. As of last Wednesday, Burtons returned to 50 percent capacity indoors and 75 percent capacity on its patio. The restaurant also added one hour to its service and is now open from 12-9 p.m.
The Max Fish restaurant on Glastonbury Boulevard in Glastonbury has reopened its dining room and bar, as well as its patio adding more patio seating at the now-closed Max Amore Risorante nearby, said Brian Costa, the restaurant’s managing partner.
They’ve installed partitions between booths and to separate the bartender from bar patrons, who are seated 6 feet apart. About 90 percent of Max Fish’s employees are back at work after about two months of unemployment, Costa said.
Staff is happy to be back, he said, but “the biggest challenges are the gloves and the masks and the heat. In front of a 400-degree oven or out on the patio, it’s a challenge.” Still, the restaurant has been doing “really well” with the reopening.
The Spicy Green Bean on New London Turnpike in Glastonbury is taking a slower approach.
“We’re still waiting for a permit for a temporary patio to be approved,” Kasha Denisiewicz, the restaurant’s owner, said Friday. “We have decided not to open inside yet. It would be too stressful for myself and the amazing crew I work with.”
Denisiewicz said she has been able “to keep the lights on” with takeout business, as many customers have been “getting more food than they could possibly eat with their family, just to help us out.”
She lost about 90 percent of her staff, with some leaving the restaurant business, some moving, and some doing so well on unemployment that they don’t want to come back yet. Normal seating capacity is 60 to 70 at the Spicy Green Bean, and she is hoping to be able to seat 30 to 40 in the temporary patio if it’s approved.
The Ellington Chuck Wagon, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in the heart of town, opened its indoor dining area on Wednesday. Customers are slowly returning to dine in, although the restaurant has offered takeout for the past few months, owner Kostas “Gus” Voukounas said.
The majority of his customers are older, so it’s especially important to institute social distancing, he said. They’re operating at around half capacity indoors and patrons can also dine outside.
In Coventry, Dimitri’s manager Adam Salinsky said most customers are leery about sitting inside and often prefer to dine outside.
“People want to stay cautious,” Salinsky said. “I don’t blame them.”
Even so, he said business is picking up.
“It is heading in the right direction,” he said. “People are social distancing, wearing masks, and taking precautions on their end to help us get going at a quicker and a safer rate.”
When the pandemic first began, the restaurant lost some business but was able to pick up momentum with takeout, changing the menu, and lowering the price on items, he said, adding that staff is sanitizing everything inside on a regular basis to keep customers safe.
In Tolland, Dennis Noad, manager at Camille’s Wood Fired Pizza, also said most customers are still sticking with curbside takeout.
“It seems people are still hesitant to dine in and to risk spreading any germs,” Noad said. “We are bringing food to people’s cars and trying to be as safe as we possibly can to make sure the virus is contained.”
Much of the ordering and paying is done electronically on phones, he said. But “We miss seeing all the friendly faces,” he added. “It is tough not having the social interaction and all the families interacting.”
In Enfield, The Country Diner on Hazard Avenue offers outdoor dining under a tent or umbrella in the parking lot, along with indoor seating at 50 percent capacity.
Jay Ravalese, the assistant manager, said business has been trending in the right direction since it reopened May 20.
While business is down compared to a year ago — which is to be expected — the diner sees around 200 customers per day, he said.
Staffing is almost at full capacity, and they’re following state-mandated safety guidelines, he said, adding that patrons have been more than happy to eat outside, especially at breakfast.
Bart’s Drive In Restaurant in Windsor never closed, but operated at reduced hours with only two employees. It’s since returned to normal business hours and nearly full staffing levels.
Owner Donald Trinks, who is also the town mayor, said the restaurant took a pretty hard beating in April, but things have since picked up. Nice weather helps draws patrons who are mostly opting to eat at the eight picnic tables outside, overlooking the Farmington River, rather than indoors.
The picnic tables can accommodate between 40 to 50 people.
To ensure safety, Trinks said the staff follows a strict cleaning and disinfecting routine and uses a checklist to ensure all surfaces, bathrooms, and other common areas are wiped down regularly. The restaurant also has one-way traffic, as diners enter and exit and pick up food from separate doors.
When FennAgains Irish Pub in Hebron closed in March, they offered takeout and took advantage of the time to complete renovations. Outdoor seating was offered during Phase 1 of reopening and on Wednesday, the dining room reopened.
“We’ve really seen a limited number of tables,” co-owner Christina Fenn said. “Everyone still prefers to be outside.”
About 60 percent of business has returned from the pre-COVID days, she said, adding that the pub is easing back into business with reduced hours.
“We figured we would open in phases instead of going right back into the full swing of things,” Fenn said. Although business has not come back entirely, she said she is hopeful it will.
“We are working to make everyone feel comfortable,” Fenn said.
Gina Marie’s Restaurant in Hebron saw a 30 percent sales drop in the first few weeks of the pandemic, owner Troy Kelsey said. However, as the weeks progressed, business gradually increased to about 60 percent of sales and made a full comeback when outdoor seating became available.
Despite the rebound, Kelsey said he has lost most of his salary for the year.
“It is what it is — right now you can manage through,” he said, noting his main concern is the fall and a possible second wave of the virus. “If it comes back … when does it become not worth it? … That’s the scary part.”
Yvette M. Tavares, membership director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said dining establishments across the state continue to grapple with financial setbacks even as the state’s economy inches closer to a full reopening.
“In general, the majority of restaurants are still struggling,” Tavares said Monday. “Operating at any level of limited capacity is extremely difficult, especially for an industry that already operates at very slim profit margins.”
The association has heard from restaurants with large outdoor patios that business has been good, and there have been many nights where there’s even a wait for tables. But not all eateries have readily available outdoor spaces, and even those that do will have to contend with the dog days of summer.
“Restaurateurs know that with hot, humid weather or rainy days, they won’t be able to count on outdoor dining,” Tavares said.
Journal Inquirer Staff Writers Anthony Branciforte, Joe Chaisson, Michelle France, Vin Gallo, Jessica Lerner, Ericka Purdy, Olivia Regen, Zachary Vasile, and Alex Wood contributed to this story.
