After surviving Phase 1, Whatcom restaurants consider these new options in Phase 2
Getting through this very restrictive pandemic period and into Phase 2 is quite a slog for Whatcom County restaurants, but many are finding ways to get by, which includes getting a lot of support from the community.
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Thursday, Feb. 11, that Whatcom County will move to Phase 2 of the state’s “Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery Plan” on Monday, Feb. 15. For restaurants, that means they can now offer indoor dining at 25% capacity with a closing time of 11 p.m. Fitness centers and gyms will also be open for indoor workouts at 25% capacity in an effort to keep the COVID-19 virus in check.
In a later announcement, Inslee said restaurants can offer limited capacity on Sunday, Feb. 14, so people could celebrate Valentine’s Day.
For places like Skylark’s Hidden Cafe in Fairhaven, getting to Phase 2 was a struggle, but they found a way to get through it. Owner Brad Haggen said he was forced to lay off servers and managers last November when Whatcom County went back to Phase 1, but the community rallied to help him keep the business going. The restaurant’s takeout holiday meals were popular, and the outdoor/tent seating has steadily increased in popularity despite the freezing weather.
“We even had a couple days where we beat last year’s sales with only dining on the patio, to-go and delivery,” Haggen said in an email. “We have had many folks join us and wanted to let us know they were there to support us.”
Storia Cucina in downtown Bellingham is surviving with outdoor dining and takeout, said owner Jonathan Cicotti. On a Friday or Saturday the restaurant, which only has six outdoor heated dining tables, has had some wait times stretch to two hours.
When open-air indoor seating or outdoor seating isn’t an option, local restaurants are finding success by being creative with the to-go meals. The downtown Bellingham eatery Saltine started off with weekly heat-at-home meals for curbside pickup, which helped bring in new customers and gave something new for regular customers to try out, said co-owner Val Markus.
The restaurant has since added a fuller menu and discounts on wine bottles, which has helped keep the restaurant going during this period. It’s been the regular customers that order every week or so that’s been the lifeblood of their sales, she added.
Will restaurants offer indoor dining?
Owners are no doubt crunching the numbers to see whether offering indoor dining at 25% capacity makes financial sense. They are also balancing that with their decision on whether their indoor dining situation is safe at this stage of the pandemic.
Haggen said they are currently reviewing their plans on what to do with 25% indoor capacity.
“If we can consolidate the 25% in one area, it may work, but if we have to spread out the 25% throughout the restaurant, that would be totally inefficient and probably cost-prohibitive,” Haggen said.
Storia Cucina is leaning toward offering indoor seating in Phase 2, using the limited capacity to spread out the tables to keep safe.
“We are definitely anxious to get indoor dining back even if it’s only 25%. That would give us another six tables which would be a huge help,” Cicotti said in an email. He’s hopeful that Whatcom County won’t be taking a step backward, because going back-and-forth between phases is very difficult for restaurants.
Markus said that Saltine is not planning to offer indoor seating in Phase 2.
“Financially, a 25% capacity for indoor dining is not a sustainable business model for us,” Markus said in an email. “But, more so, there’s plenty of data that shows indoor dining doesn’t provide as safe an environment as we would like to cultivate for our team during this era. We are holding steady with our current program and will continue until indoor dining looks like a safer option for all.”
If anything, indoor seating will boost morale at restaurants, allowing them to serve people at tables again, said Dominic Tino, who operates Mambo Italiano Cafe in Fairhaven. He said that it is a bit of a head-scratcher that it will be 25% capacity compared to 50%, but nevertheless, he’s excited to open in any capacity.
Given the back-and-forth of openings and closings during the pandemic, Tino said he and other restaurants are thinking ahead to better prepare their restaurants for pandemic changes. For Mambo, that includes working with local company Blackfin Design to further revamp their patio.
Even with the new phase, it’ll still be a struggle, Tino added, and is encouraging customers to continue ordering takeout, merchandise and gift cards at local restaurants as they put more money into adjusting to Phase 2.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
