PHOENIX — The coronavirus has hit the restaurant industry hard during one of the busiest times of year here in the Valley. Instead of shutting down completely, some local spots are getting innovative while still serving the community.
Just a couple of weeks ago, EVO in Scottsdale would have been busy during the dinner hour, serving dozens of guests. But now, owner Nick Neuman said they've completely changed their model to stay open.
“(Guests) have their groceries already ordered online, paid online," Neuman said. "Then they show up, pop their trunk, food gets put in the back of their car and they can take off.”
The coronavirus has taken a huge toll on the hospitality industry. Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said the industry has laid off nearly 80% of its workforce.
“We’re losing roughly $25 to $30 million every day, because you have to remember, this is our peak season of the year," Chucri said.
Neuman said even though his restaurant has closed, EVO is now a community marketplace averaging about 600 to 700 orders per week. His team sells everything from toilet paper to fresh veggies and wine. The change helps his vendors stay open too.
"Because our vendors have all of this product and had no other way of moving it that quickly," Neuman said. "So that’s been really helpful as far as keeping them in business.”
He was even able to rehire a few employees he originally laid off.
“Servers, bartenders, hosts, bussers all had to be laid off, but within a few days, we were able to bring a quarter of them back on to help out with what we’re doing now," Neuman said.
And on a larger scale, the Arizona Restaurant Association is working on plans for eateries to reopen once it's deemed safe.
“What you have to do to get your systems back up and running to full capacity, so when this does end and we’re able to get back to some sense of normalcy, we’ll be able to activate as an industry very quickly," Chucri said.
It's a day Neuman knows will come, but until then this is the new normal for now. "We're all in this together so use each other as a resource to help get us all through this and try to think outside the box a little bit," he said.
