Emotion is in the air in Napa County as restaurants can now reopen their dining rooms after a 10 week shutdown.
“As soon as the county found out from the state, I got the text that said ‘open’… I cried,” says Joe Peatman, the owner of Downtown Joe’s Brewery and Restaurant on Napa’s Main Street. “This isn’t just a business, it’s our life.”
He is now making preparations to bring back staff and serve customers, although he will be limited to half his usual capacity.
“It’s tough. My staff, I’ve gone from 40 people, now I only have 30 left because 10 have had to move on. They could not survive waiting for me,” he said, becoming emotional as he spoke about the challenges he and his staff have faced and the prospect of returning to normal. “Now we’re bringing back the rest and we hope to prove to those 10 that we’re worthy, we’re going to make money again and they can come back and be part of our family. That’s what we want.”
As non-essential retailers have been able to reopen for curbside pickup and delivery in many parts of the Bay Area, some have reported seeing business slowly trickle back. But brewmaster J.J. Fittipoldi is optimistic that Downtown Joe’s will fare better.
“People are obviously going to want to come out and have some drinks after all this, because they’ve just been sitting at home,” he says. “So yeah I think we’re going to get a good crowd, and I think it’s going to get bigger and bigger every day.”
