Newport Food Scene: Honoring restaurant workers who have made it this far

It’s hard to believe that it was just three years ago.

It was March 16, 2020, when then-Gov. Gina Raimondo, following the guidance of the federal Center for Disease Control and the Rhode Island Department of Health, issued Executive Order 20-04 which temporarily prohibited on-premise consumption of food and drink at all bars and restaurants. Facing the unknown consequences of a deadly virus that was spreading rapidly, it was a logical action to help protect our communities. But it meant the restaurant industry had been shut down for the foreseeable future and thousands of Rhode Island hospitality workers were suddenly temporarily out of work. Just like that, it was all shut down.

Our memories are already fading about what those early days of COVID were like. The world was moving pretty fast. Quarantining. Social distancing and remote learning. Stocking up on toilet paper. Excessively washing our hands. No one really knew exactly what was going on and everyone was rolling with it until we figured things out. There was a strange quiet to the world. But we can’t forget how scary it was too. People were sick. People were dying. The threat of catching a virus was omnipresent. Was I next? Was I spreading it? We were living in a world of unknowns, and beyond the virus, most of us in the hospitality industry were dealing with being out of work.

There was help. We can’t forget that. Federal and state unemployment insurance along with a special COVID benefit was quickly made available for those affected. That kept a lot of people afloat in the midst of the storm. It’s hard to fathom what the early days of the pandemic would have been like without that assistance. It gave you the sense that people were looking out for one another. And in those early days, we were. Even as restaurants slowly started opening for takeout and delivery service, customers were generous. They tipped a little extra. They ordered a little more. They sent their words of support and encouragement. There was love for hospitality workers and it was felt. For a brief time, they were heroes.

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But as it did with the rest of the world, the pandemic started taking its toll on the hospitality industry. When the lockdown showed us how vulnerable the industry can be, it pushed a lot of hard-working restaurant people out of the business for good. For some, it wasn’t worth it anymore, so they found a new career. That led to an eventual industry-wide staffing shortage which created a whole new trove of issues, least of which was the wearing down of those that stuck around. With longer hours over extra shifts, it was a pace for workers that was unsustainable. There was also tremendous financial pressures on every restaurant owner. Still dealing with losses from the extended shutdowns and partial openings, the industry now faced supply chain issues caused by the pandemic which were taking food costs to new highs. In a business that was already a challenge to succeed in, it was now harder. We lost a lot of great restaurants to COVID over the last three years. Even today, when long-established businesses like Gary’s Handy and Sig’s Delicatessen decide to close, it may not be directly because of the pandemic, but you can be sure the struggles of the last three years weighed heavily into their decisions.

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The restaurant workers who are still at it three years into this pandemic are a hearty bunch. They’ve proven they can do it all. They came back from the shutdown ready to roll. They learned how to work with the new regulations. They cooked in masks. They served guests through plastic dividers. They waited on outdoor tables with temps in the low 40s. They adapted to it all. They took on the unpleasantries of those who decided to make the food service industry a battleground for masking regulations. They sacrificed their summers to put in double-shifts for their short-staffed restaurants. They stretched their multi-tasking abilities so the restaurant could stay open. They deserve our gratitude for all they’ve done to help this industry survive. Feel free to thank them for all they do the next time you are out in a local restaurant or bar. It always feels good to be seen.

The pandemic has changed the face of the hospitality business forever, and it’s not done yet. It will be years before we can accurately measure what the longterm effects on the industry will be. You can throw away any playbooks from 2019 - it’s all different from here on out. For now, as we mark this inauspicious anniversary, let’s try to stay positive and recall the feelings we all shared in those early days. Let’s be safe. Let’s be kind to one another. And let's move forward together. We can all raise a glass to that.

Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. He continues to work locally behind the scenes within the industry and remains a devoted fan of all things restaurant and hospitality related. His column appears on newportri.com and Thursdays in The Daily News. Cheers!

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: COVID-19 anniversary a time to look back at impact on restaurants