Main & Broad recently conducted exclusive interviews with four local restaurateurs during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. We thank each of the participants willing to answer tough questions amid such difficult circumstances. Interviewees included Jonathan Pierce, founder and managing partner of The Mason Jar Tavern in Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs; Tom McGrath, owner of Assaggio’s Pizzeria Ristorante in Fuquay-Varina; Katie Dies, co-owner of downtown Fuquay’s Stick Boy Bread Company and The Mill; and Scott Johnson, owner/operator of Eggs Up Grill in Fuquay-Varina.
M&B: The negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic hit restaurants hard and fast. How have you been effected?
Jonathan Pierce, founder and managing partner of The Mason Jar Tavern in Fuquay-Varina and Holly Spring, pictured with his wife
Pierce: “This all still feels like a bad dream or the scene from a movie. It’s definitely been the most difficult time of my life professionally. On March 16, I had to tell my entire team they were furloughed for the foreseeable future. These are my friends, and many of them have been a part of my life for years. I wake up each day both knowing we will get through this and worrying about my team.
“On a personal level, I am learning to be still. I love to work and to be constantly busy. Over the past few weeks, I have practiced resting. I’ve spent more time with my wife and daughter than I have ever been able to before. While I’m eager to get back up and running, I cherish the time we have at home together.”
Tom McGrath, owner of Assaggio’s Pizzeria Ristorante in Fuquay-Varina
McGrath: “We have lost considerable lunch business, but nights have been okay due to takeout and delivery options like DoorDash and Grubhub. Sunday lunches are the biggest negative, since there’s been no after-church rush.”
Katie Dies, co-owner of downtown Fuquay’s Stick Boy Bread Company and The Mill
Dies: “Overall, both Stick Boy and The Mill are doing okay. We’ve received incredible support from our local community and have adjusted quickly to offering to-go and curbside pick-up services. The wholesale side of the bakery business has taken the biggest hit, as more and more full-scale restaurants, food trucks and coffee shops close their doors.”
Scott Johnson, owner/operator of Eggs Up Grill in Fuquay-Varina
Johnson: “It has been an emotional roller coaster, that’s for certain. I’m an optimist and a man of faith, so I know that we will get through this.”
M&B: What have been the most difficult factors you’ve faced during this unprecedented time of business interruption?
McGrath: “There is a lot of stress when it comes to continuing to pay rent, cover payroll and consider whether or not to cut our hours of business.”
Pierce: “The most difficult part so far was having to make the decision to close completely versus trying to offer take-out and delivery. Each restaurateur has had to make this decision, and the factors are different for all of us. For Mason Jar, we made the decision that felt like the best long-term (option). We pivoted our mindset from trying to keep things going as long as possible to making sure our teams have something to come back to when this is all over.”
On March 17, Governor Cooper ordered North Carolina’s bars and restaurants to close their dining rooms. A county-wide stay-at-home order went into effect on march 27. restaurants were limited to take out and curb side service only.
Johnson: “As difficult as the financial side of trying to stay afloat has been, the most difficult thing has been the impact to my staff. I have a great time working at Eggs Up Grill, and we have bonded as a team over the last few years. These are people I care about, and they care about each other. There is strength in that, but it also means that we worry about each other.”
Dies: “Staying up-to-date on current CDC and WHO recommendations and keeping my team and our customers informed has been challenging. Things are moving at lightning speed! It’s also been incredibly difficult to reduce my staffing team at both businesses. We’re a family, and telling folks to stay home is hard.”
Pierce: “The bond I am experiencing is not just between other restaurateurs. While the service industry is definitely affected, everyone I know has been affected by the coronavirus. I feel bonded with people I have typically not felt as connected to in the past.”
M&B: A recent article on Eater.com indicated there’s a special bond that restaurant owners and their colleagues share during tough times. How have you experienced this reality with your employees?
Pierce: “The bond I am experiencing is not just between other restaurateurs. While the service industry is definitely affected, everyone I know has been affected by the coronavirus. I feel bonded with people I have typically not felt as connected to in the past.”
Dies: “My team at the bakery and at The Mill are incredible! They’ve leaned into our businesses and have been ready and willing to do whatever is needed: organizing curbside pick-up, taking on new responsibilities, running errands for one another, participating in brainstorming sessions, and even making silly videos for social media.
I most clearly saw our bond when Charissa (my sister-in-law and the manager of The Mill) and I were at The Mill waiting to hear Governor Cooper’s executive order mandating all restaurants and bars to close their dine-in service. We were so anxious! Slowly, one by one, The Mill employees trickled in. They wanted to be there to support us and to support each other. It was a perfect picture of a family coming together.”
McGrath: “We are so grateful to still be working. Going through this tough time together will makes us stronger in the future.“
Johnson: “Even before the Covid-19 outbreak we were a close group. We have gotten to know each other’s families, we get together outside of work when we can, celebrate each other’s successes and console each other during hard times. This is the reason that I left the corporate world and opened this restaurant. I wanted to make a living and care for my family, but I also wanted to make an impact in my community.
Through various community outreach efforts, supporting local sporting teams, and more specifically, creating jobs and building relationships with the people that work in those jobs, we strive to make a difference. When I’m done with these restaurants, hopefully a long time from now, I will measure my success in a very large part by the impact we’ve been able to make in the lives of our staff and in our community.”
M&B: How have your customers, friends and fellow restaurateurs responded during this time of uncertainty and instability?
Dies: “The support from our community leaves me speechless. Our customers have continued to show up and place their orders. They’ve been gracious with us as we have worked through the kinks of to-go and curbside pickup services. They’ve shared our posts and videos on social media, and they’ve sent us messages of encouragement. Fellow business owners have been checking in via Zoom.
Johnson: “I can’t say enough about how people have expressed concern and offered help, and I believe that this is a strength of humanity. We fight and argue, but we also have a long history of coming together during hard times.”
Pierce: “Every day, I receive countless kind words and well wishes from our customers eager to get their Mason Jar fix once this is all over. Our staff have been … gracious and understanding with my decision to close and are eager to get back to serving our community.”
McGrath: “We’ve seen an unbelievable show of support from our customers and friends. I just want to thank everyone who has come out to support Assaggio’s during this difficult time.”
M&B: What is the first thing you want to do once a sense of normalcy resumes?
Johnson: “The first thing I’ll do is get this restaurant back open and start paying my employees again! I’m sure we’ll have a party to kick things off, and we’ll do a grand re-opening. Small family owned businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and communities.”
McGrath: “I want to walk through a full dining room and take time to thank everyone for their unwavering support.”
Dies: “(I will) hug my team members and enjoy a drink at The Mill.”
Pierce: “It is weird visiting my parents in their driveway from 10 feet away and not being able to embrace them. It’s odd when I see a good friend and have to keep my distance, so when all this is over, the first thing I’m going to do is hug my parents and embrace those friends. Certainly, if nothing else, this pandemic has taught us not to take simple things … for granted.”
