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MARCH 26, 2020
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Restaurants adjust on the fly ‘An incredible toll on businesses and employees’ By Jason Starr Observer staff
Sam Handy is taking it day by day and order by order in the kitchen at Grazers. The restaurateur is working long hours and adjusting on the fly as a cascade of public health directives come down from the governor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants statewide have shuttered their dining rooms and are limited to offering only takeout and delivery. A relaxation of liquor laws to allow for alcohol delivery has provided some new opportunities, but, as Handy — who also owns Agave Taco and Tequila Casa next door at Maple Tree Place in Williston — described the situation Friday, restaurants are in survival mode. They are adjusting their hours on the fly while calibrating the popularity of their delivery and takeout services, finding ways to support the employees they’ve had to furlough and preparing government applications for small business disaster loans. “A lot of restaurants don’t know
what the future holds,” Handy said. “We are going to reopen, but I think you’ll see a lot of places that aren’t going to make that work, so it’s a little scary.” Handy agrees with the statewide ban on dining in and backs the measures Gov. Phil Scott has enacted to try to slow the acceleration of the pandemic. He said the community has supported his restaurants’ modified operations. “It doesn’t go unnoticed,” said Handy. He also praised his staff, saying that even those who have been furloughed and applied for unemployment have returned to support operations. “They just want to be there and help out. It’s cool to see as an owner. It’s like a second family,” said Handy. Jed Davis is part of the Farmhouse Group that owns four table service restaurants in the Burlington area, as well as a faster food option, Bliss Bee in Williston. A second location of the group’s flagship Farmhouse Tap and Grill is under construction in Williston. All of the table service restaurants have closed until further notice in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Bliss Bee remains open at Maple Tree Place. “We have laid off a considerable amount of employees,” Davis said. “We want to hire
everybody back, and we fully intend to … We look forward to a day of onboarding employees and ordering food soon.” Last week, Farmhouse Group owners helped employees with unemployment insurance applications, offered free housing to employees in need and gave out perishable food from the restaurants. On Friday, Gov. Scott announced that the state will waive the requirement that unemployed workers look for work in order to receive unemployment insurance payments. He also said the state will work with health insurers to make sure no one loses health insurance during the crisis, and with utilities to ensure no one is disconnected from electricity or heat due to a lapse in payment. “I know this is taking an incredible toll on businesses and employees,” Scott said. A statewide disaster declaration earlier this month opens the door to U.S. Small Business Administration loans of up to $2 million per business to overcome loss of revenue due to the pandemic. These “economic injury disaster loans” come with interest rates of 3.75 percent for small business and 2.75 percent for non-profits. Repayment terms are long, up to 30 years, to keep payments affordable.
Observer photo by Al Frey
Restaurants statewide have shuttered their dining rooms and are limited to offering only takeout and delivery.
Williston restaurants offering limited service: takeout/curbside* AGAVE TACO & TEQUILA
CHILI’S GRILL & BAR
MCGILLICUDDY’S
PHO K&K
THE SCALE
ASIAN BISTRO
DOMINO’S
MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL
SIMON’S DELI
VERMONT SANDWICH CO.
BAGEL’S PLUS
FRIENDLY’S
NARU
SIMPLY DIVINE CAFE
VERMONT TAPHOUSE
BELLE’S CAFE
GRAZERS
O’BRIEN’S DELI
RAMUNTO’S PIZZA
99 RESTAURANT
BLISS BEE
LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE
PANERA BREAD
TEXAS ROADHOUSE
*as of press time