(WWJ) Michigan restaurant owners are expressing frustration about the extended ban on indoor dining, fearing it puts their business’ future in jeopardy.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended the ban on dining until at least February 1st. She said she is hopeful they can reopen on that date if coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward.
Restaurants and bars have been limited to only carryout and outdoor dining since mid-November, when a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Executive Order increased restrictions amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Joe Vicari owns 24 restaurants in Metro Detroit including Andiamo and Joe Muer Seafood said the impact of the ban reaches far.
“There are just so many people,” Vicari spoke live on WWJ. “Our food supply company is down 75%. Entertainment…those who play a piano, play a guitar. These guys have been out of work forever. The valet service we have at a couple of our restaurants. It’s a trickle down effect.”
Vicari told WWJ’s Mike Campbell he and his team of 700 employees were “shocked and a little upset” that Governor Whitmer decided to extend the ban on indoor dining, when they were preparing to reopen on January 15.
Turns out, they will have to wait even longer. If they are allowed to reopen on February 1, restaurants will likely have a strict curfew and capacity restrictions.
Vicari said his team is struggling to make ends meet.
“Eleven weeks without a paycheck. How does anyone survive? You can’t. How do you pay your bills? You can’t? How do you feed your family? You can’t,” he said.
A lot of his employees will not return when they reopen because they had to move on.
“When we’re calling them to come back, they can’t. They’ve already found other jobs because they had to feed their families and stay alive.”
An estimated 40% to 50% of restaurants said in November they would “shut down forever” if they have had to face another shutdown. Then it happened.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association reported an average of 4% of COVID-19 cases in the state are tied to eateries while 9% were tied to malls, which were permitted to remain open in November; according to Vicari.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) lists 6 outbreaks tied to restaurant or bars, with only one involving patrons.
Retail was associated with 64 outbreaks; however, all were among employees, according to MDHHS. They did not involve customers.
Longterm care facilities had the most outbreaks of any other category with 438 since March. This includes skilled nursing facility, assisted living, adult day care, group home, etc.
An outbreak is defined by MDHHS as 2 or more cases tied to the same setting at a similar date.
Currently, restaurants in Michigan are operating at 50% capacity.
“If it goes to 25%, a lot of smaller restaurants can’t afford to stay open serving 25 guests. They’ll have to stay closed.”
Vicari said at least one or two of his 24 restaurants will not survive the pandemic.
“December is the busiest month in the restaurant business by far. We were forced to be closed. Our volume (in December) is equivalent to about 2 and a half (average) months. Our servers look forward to parties, gathering of friends or families. None of that happened this year.”
When the vaccines are distributed and the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, he said he’s ready for the influx of customers ready to dine together again even if it means a full reservation book and long waits.
“That will be a good problem to have.”
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