5 ways you can help keep Asheville restaurants, staff, going amid coronavirus controls

Even a month ago, it would have seemed unthinkable. 

A March 17 executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper closed restaurant dining rooms, though takeout and delivery is still permitted.

Since then, restaurants have been in triage mode.

That's the case at Katie Button Restaurants, where the Cúrate and Button & Co. Bagels owners had to make the impossible decision to lay off staff until restaurants can reopen.

It's a scenario playing out in restaurants across the country.

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"Today, we cleared out the walk-ins, packaged up our leftover perishable food and invited all our hardworking staff who have suddenly found themselves without a job, to come in to pack up a box of goods and take it home to their families," chef Katie Button posted on Instagram March 17.

"For a moment, it made us all feel good," she said. "And even though we were standing 6 feet away from one another, we felt more united than ever."

But Button is not standing still, and has thrown her energy into finding solutions.

#SaveLocalRestaurants

One is Save Local Restaurants. It's an initiative spearheaded by Independent Restaurant Coalition Collaborators, a group that includes such culinary luminaries as Sean Brock, Tom Colicchio and Steven Satterfield. 

You can find more information at www.saverestaurants.co (and no, there is no "m" at the end). The group is proposing a relief package for the restaurant industry that includes a grant program for employees and support for suppliers.

"Without relief, our doors will remain shut forever and millions more jobs will be lost," said the group, which estimates restaurants employ 13 million nationwide, not including  hundreds of million of workers along the food supply chain.

Action item: Go to www.saverestaurants.co, fill out the form and share widely on social media. 

Call your elected officials

William Dissen, who owns The Market Place in Asheville and Haymaker and Billy D's Fried Chicken in Charlotte, was one of the first in Asheville to shutter his restaurants.

"I saw the writing on the wall," he said. "I shut down and emptied our coolers out and gave everything to our staff and wished them well."

Dissen is an activist chef, and has served as a Blue Ribbon Task Force Member for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and lobbied on Capitol Hill in support of food policy issues.

And he was one of the first chefs to join the Independent Restaurant Coalition Collaborators in fighting for the survival of the industry. 

More:Coronavirus: How restaurants are coping with state's recommendations to close dining rooms

As such, he has a message for elected officials: "Take heed and listen to what the chefs and restaurant owners are asking for, especially the independent ones," he said. 

Restaurants contribute a staggering amount to the nation's economy.

According to the U.S. Committee for Economic Development, the food and beverage industry generates $164 billion in value, accounts for $83 billion in total salary and benefits, $10 billion in taxes and $62 billion in property income, just for starters.

And for restaurants like Dissen's, which are so locally focused, there's an even greater trickle down effect, he said. 

"What's the full effect of our restaurant being closed? It's brain melting to try to quantify," he said. 

Right now he's just trying to figure out how to stay afloat. "None of us are going to make it if the government doesn't do something," he said.  

Action item: "Contact your senators and congressmen and women, and tell them to save restaurants by enacting legislation that will support restaurants and their employees and help us weather the storm," Dissen advised.

You can reach the United States Capitol switchboard switchboard at: 202-224-3121.

Give restaurant staff a (virtual) hug 

When Pack's Tavern was forced to close its dining room, it laid off nearly 90 people, though some remain to manage takeout operations.

Mary Evans, marketing and events manager at the downtown restaurant, helped put together Pack’s Tavern Group Hug, or @ptavgrouphug on Instagram and Facebook.

Action item: Pack's social pages link to a Gofundme page to support displaced staff.

"We created it as a way to keep our team connected, let them share their stories and, yes, raise some money to help them until they can return to work," Evans said. "Unemployment benefits help, but the system has issues and there are delays with processing claims."

The uber-popular 12 Bones Smokehouse laid off staff at both of its locations and the South Asheville brewery.

"We are in this together and we can't wait to welcome you all back in our dining and tasting rooms again!" owners Bryan and Angela King posted on Facebook. "Please continue to help support all of your favorite local restaurants any way you can."

Action item: There's a Gofundme for 12 Bones staff at gf.me/u/xrp6v4.

Be sure to (virtually) tip your bartender

Every time you have a drink at home during social distancing, consider tipping a local service industry worker through Venmo or Cash App.

Action item: Visit avl.tips to get linked with a new worker to support. 

"Right now, service industry people are severely impacted by social distancing and quarantine," the site says. "Every little bit helps."

Order in, don't hoard

Action item: Order some local food for dinner tonight. Here's how:

The Asheville Citizen Times is keeping a running tally of some of the restaurants open and serving food via delivery and takeout. 

Asheville Independent Restaurants has its own list. The Google doc is accessible through the group's social media channels. 

For a list at your fingertips, download the Dig Local app (or update it if you already have it). 

Kickback AVL and Takeout Central also deliver from local restaurants, as do other nationally recognized third-party apps.

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Mackensy Lunsford is an award-winning staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times, former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.

Reach me:mlunsford@citizentimes.com.

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