LANSING, Mich. — The holiday season is here and small businesses, particularly restaurants, need all the help they can get. Some owners and managers tell our Dan Grossman if you want to help the most consider what you're buying off their menu, among other things.
It is difficult to hold onto festivity. “I don’t know we just want to see if people can come and pick up orders” When the only thing on alejandro landa’s christmas wish list is to ease the concern that has plagued his family’s diner since March.
“We got to do what we got to do”
The sizzle of the griddle is less frequent each morning as their restaurant is just one. “Just to know that we’re regressing a lit bit and seeing a spike in those numbers again is a disheartening”
One of thousands across the country whose struggle varies in degree but not in circumstance. “When our gm said we won’t be able to do dine in for close to the rest of the year we’re like that’s crazy talk this is going to get better. it hasn’t gotten better.”
Sierra Tarquini takes the laughs she can these days. the italian eatery she helps manage has cut staff by half, closed its indoor dining per state regulations, and is now scraping by with to-go orders. she says gift cards can be a major boost to restaurants in similar positions since it gives them immediate revenue while giving the buyer something to experience when things eventually return to normal
“I’m a little biased but i think DiFranco’s food makes a great gift.”
She also says ordering from the restaurant’s website as opposed to Doordash or Ubereats helps, too. those companies usually charge the restaurant a fee, and the website might have more items on it.
“The phone doesn’t stop and that has really really helped me.”
For Ron Robinson that means craft cocktails from his Italian dinner spot. the margins are better and it makes up for people who can no longer take a seat at his bar.
“I had a guy the other night come in and get eight martinis to go. you know, they buy bottles of wine to go, so every little bit helps.”
Martini’s aren’t on Alejandro’s family’s menu so they’ll stick to french toast, eggs, and any tips they may kindly receive on their takeout orders.
For it could quite literally make the difference in how they survive moving forward.
“This is all we have right now. it’s a family restaurant. it’s just my mom, my two sisters, and my grandma at home. it’s all we have and we really need to keep it up because there’s no other place to go.”
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