By Michael Piwowarski and Jordan Green
UNIVERSITY CENTER – Schools are getting shut down. Events are getting canceled left and right. Churches and government meetings are moving toward teleconferences and live streams. Toilet paper and bread are being hoarded at a ludicrous rate. Hospitals can’t let in visitors. The travel industry is undoubtedly taking a major hit.
The list of effects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak for Michigan goes on and on. One of the more notable effects left on society is the closure of restaurants and bars, restricting their services to take-out/delivery only, thanks to a temporary ban of dine-in services by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
While it seems like the whole state is shutting down, the small businesses that make up the fabric of each local community are doing what they can to adapt to these temporary restrictions.
Coffee shops serve up caffeine to go
Although many restaurants were already taking sanitary precautions, Whitmer’s executive order caught some establishments by surprise.
“Honestly I was a little surprised,” says Samantha Kunz, owner of the Iron Grind Coffeehouse in Auburn. “[I didn’t think] we would actually get to that point. Even now, though, we’re kind of just taking it day by day.”
The Iron Grind is drive-thru only as of Wednesday, March 18, and is operating with limited hours until further notice.
The store announced on their Facebook page March 17: “We believe in community that connects us! While we can’t gather together these next few weeks, check on your neighbors, call your family and love on your kids. You could even come through the drive through and drop off coffee to a friend!”
Before the order came, the Iron Grind had already taken such precautions as cleaning items inside the dining area after each use. For this reason, Kunz says it wasn’t too difficult to complete the process of fully changing over to pick-up only.
One measure being taken to encourage people to support local businesses in this difficult time is selling gift cards at a discount, which can be used later when the executive order is lifted.
Iron Grind has followed suit in this trend, offering e-gift cards via SquareUp.com. Gift cards with a value of $15 or higher are discounted at 20% off.
Located in downtown Auburn at 116 N. Auburn Rd., Iron Grind will take drive thru orders from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, until further notice. Customers are encouraged to phone ahead at 989-266-3386 for faster service.
Bars struggle to keep their taps open
The Creek Grill, located just a few minutes south of downtown Midland, is one of countless Michigan bars that is now left to figure out how to offer Michiganders a good time without the barstools and tables.
Although they are among the many bars that decided to stay open for take-out, The Creek still has 12 kegs of draft beer that they can’t serve as long as the order is in place.
“We do not have a carry-out license,” says co-owner Katy Dean concerning the service of alcoholic beverages. “[…] I’m probably going to take a look at what’s involved in getting one. Maybe I can get LARA to fast track one; I don’t know if that’s an option.”
In addition to this, their staff are facing the all-too-common issue of being out of work. Dean says that employees have been encouraged to apply for unemployment benefits.
Problems aside, The Creek is still flowing with traditional American fare, offering curbside delivery and takeout options. They are also looking at on-the-road delivery as a possible option in the future.
“I have a job that – my office might get closed, and [if] I’m suddenly free all day, I can drive around and deliver food,” says Dean. “Right now we’re not quite there yet. […] We’ll see how the demand is.”
During St. Patrick’s Day, when bars are normally flowing with green beer and festive partiers, they had to find creative alternative ways to give people their corned-beef-and-cabbage fix. The Creek offered individual and family-sized orders, and reported “a robust dinner rush of take outs” on their Facebook page at the end of the day.
They also announced that their hours may change based on demand and that they were starting slowly out of abundance of caution, to ensure that they are able to re-open after Governor Whitmer’s order has expired.
For the time being, The Creek – located at 1259 S. Poseyville Rd. – is accepting take-out orders by phone at 989-486-3717. Their daily hours are posted on their Facebook page.
Pizza still at the door
Stopping by the well-known Midland Street business district of Bay City, Brooklyn Boyz Pizza owner Jen Novellino says the pizzeria and Italian restaurant is trying to make the best of a bad situation and adapt to the ever changing status of the coronavirus.
“Business is down for us but we’re just trying to adapt every day to the rules that are changing every day,” says Novellino.
While transitioning to take-out/delivery service only, restaurants are cutting hours for some of their employees and are anxious for what this break from regular business will do to their companies.
To combat some uncertainties, Governor Whitmer has announced that unemployment for those affected by the coronavirus and closures will be available with more relaxed guidelines.
The executive order signed by Whitmer on March 16 regarding unemployment benefits took effect immediately and will last through Tuesday, April 14. The changed guidelines focused on those taking care of a child due to school closures, an ill loved one, those infected and quarantined by the coronavirus, and first responders in the public health community who have become sick and quarantined by the virus.
Novellino is encouraging her staff to apply for the unemployment to help with this time off.
“We’re trying to keep as many employees working as possible,” says Novellino as public health officials are encouraging social distancing and little face-to-face contact.
To place a to-go order for Brooklyn Boyz at 507 E. Midland St., their number is 989-894-5560. The restaurant is also offering to run your order to the car for you.
Small town diner rolls with the changes
Other restaurants in the downtown Bay City area are learning to cope with the take-out/delivery only business. The Stock Pot Diner at 1007 Washington Ave. says the closure has affected them significantly.
Manager of the Stock Pot, Michelle Lile, says the restaurant was looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day because they were featuring their first corned beef meal. She says the restaurant will freeze the meat and serve the meal once restaurants are given the green light to resume their regular dine-in hours.
Lile says the hardest part about the executive order shutdowns was letting her employees know they wouldn’t be coming in for work for at least two weeks.
“A lot of people like servers, they rely on their tips and stuff,” says Lile. “Some of them are single moms or are just [a] one income family.”
The restaurant is keeping two employees: Lile herself and one cook.
Lile also encourages community members to support local businesses by purchasing gift cards for use at a later time.
The Stock Pot will be open this week for take-out only, from Monday, March 20 to Friday, March 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can place an order by phone at 989-893-9332. Owner Vince Stuart will evaluate whether or not the business can remain open for to-go service for the remaining time period.
