Local Restaurants Eager To Return to Business
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WHEELING -- Area restaurant owners and managers are trying to remain optimistic while confronting the many challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, after reopening for business over the past couple of weeks following more than two months of being closed.
Vagabond Kitchen owner Matt Welsch said while he remains optimistic about the future of his business, he is also realistic about the serious challenges moving forward with his restaurant, and he is doing everything he can to keep his business viable.
"Summer always hits us the hardest, and with no festivals to bring people downtown and nothing else going on, I don't know what to expect," Welsh explained. "I am very very glad that we have our doors open and we can see people at the tables and the bar now -- and I think that is great, but it is still very sparse.
"I try to be realistic -- one of those, hope for the best, prepare for the worst sort of things. We're just trying to keep our overhead down as low as possible," Welsh explained. "We're fortunate to be involved in the program with Grow Ohio Valley and some other local restaurants with feeding some elementary school students through the summer. That's definitely going to help," he added.
"Safety" is the bottom line, according to Welsch. "Honestly that's the biggest thing," he said. Welsch said he doesn't want any of his employees or patrons to get sick during the pandemic. "That's always our primary goal. That's a major concern for every restaurant … and monetarily I have concerns as well, but those are all trumped by the health and safety part," he added.
Welsh said his restaurant was open seven days a week prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Vagabond Kitchen is now open four days a week -- Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Matt Coffland, manager of Prima Marina Boat & Yacht Club in Moundsville, said while he has great expectations for his business to thrive this summer as restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to lift, he believes government officials have made it very difficult for restaurants to flourish in recent months with all the restrictions in place.
Coffland said he has called West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice's office weekly since the restrictions took effect to explain his concerns. He said they need to understand what they're doing to people and they need to open businesses back up again.
"They got us under a lot of restrictions that they need to lift," Coffland explained. "We still have to use paper products. … We still have to distance people inside, they make it very hard on us. … We are not allowed any entertainment.
"It could be a great summer. I think it might be the greatest summer ever -- lift the restrictions," Coffland said. "People are just fed up."
Coffland said he is very fortunate to offer dining on an outside deck -- an amenity that many restaurants don't have to fall back on to attract additional customers. Coffland said Prima Marina can currently accommodate about 50 people on the outside deck, and another 75 in the indoor dining room. He said they continue to offer take-out orders as well.
"There's a lot (of people) who are not in my situation, and I feel bad for them because a lot of doors aren't going to open again," he added.