PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1, 2020
As I write this post, it is three days into our outdoor seating closure and two days from the most significant election of our lifetime. Dare I say, it is a time of high anxiety and uncertainty. Is anyone else having trouble sleeping at night?
Here is a snapshot of what’s going on at Detroit Street: We announced on Friday that we were doing our part to stem the spread of COVID, before COVID came to us. With cases skyrocketing here and everywhere, we made the responsible choice to stop all on-site service. However, with our outdoor dine-in business accounting for nearly half of our sales from June through October, that was a gutsy move. And we are feeling it. That decision cost us about $4,500 in lost sales on Friday and Saturday combined. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. I’m feeling a little nervous and so are staff members. Fortunately, our warm-weather sales gave us a financial cushion… for now.
My instincts tell me that moving to just carry-out/delivery was the right decision for the business and for our patrons. Our short-term pain will likely be worth the longer-term gain of staving off COVID, for as along as possible. Knock on wood, all 46 staff members at Detroit Street Filling Station and the five staffers at The Lunch Room Bakery & Café have remained healthy. You can’t put a price tag on that.
You may wonder: what’s our plan for getting through the winter? First, to keep expenses commensurate with income. Second, to keep sales as strong as possible.
Sales depend on our patrons’ interest in what we have to offer. To that end, we plan to dazzle you with new and spectacular victuals. There is no down-time in our kitchen. When the tickets slow, the cooks get busy. Over the last few days they have been experimenting with Thai curry cauliflower wings, soft pretzels, butternut squash risotto, taquitos and (vegan) pigs in a blanket – to name a few. Don’t be surprised to see a new burger, new wrap, new soups and new savory baked items coming your way in the coming weeks. In addition to food, look forward to new craft cocktails, beer, wine, and a plethora of groceries—all available on our online store.
The next point of our strategy for success is, as always, to do the right thing. That practice has sustained us thus far. As a restaurant, our greatest resource is food. We are offering it – for free – to any displaced service industry worker. Since the start of the pandemic, we have given away $20,324 worth of food. We are a community that takes care of each other. If there is a need, we address it. And so do you.
Similarly, we take care of our staff and they take care of each other. It’s hard to describe the incredible camaraderie in our establishments. Staff encourage and support each other through these are trying times, while making responsible choices about their off-the-clock activities. They have amazing spirits and strong moral compasses. For the business’s part, we support our employees by offering a top-of-the-line health plan to all full-timers, and paid time off to all staff. If someone has so much as a sniffle they are asked to stay home and get paid for doing so.
I am leaving you with high hopes that our country will make a move to a new and better path on Tuesday. I’m guessing that if you are reading this post, you have already voted. But if not, VOTE like your life depends on it. Because it does. Regardless of the outcome, we will continue taking care of people and we know you will too. This is a beautiful community. We love all you people.