Bend restaurant delivers creative option as Gov. Brown bans dining in
But others worry the slowdown could force layoffs, put them out of business
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Monday, Gov. Kate Brown ordered that all restaurants and bars may only offer take-out and delivery services, starting Tuesday. That's prompting some in Bend to look for creative new options to dining in, in order to stay afloat.
Rich Taylor, the owner of Beach Hut Deli in downtown Bend, told NewsChannel 21 he plans on adding a drive-thru option on Brooks Street, the alley behind the restaurant.
He said workers will meet them in the alley and deliver the food to customers, so they don't have to leave their vehicle in an effort to follow "social distancing" practices.
Taylor said it's not just his business he's worried about.
"I'm more concerned about our staff, at this point," he said. "I want to make sure everybody stays healthy, but we also want to make sure everybody stays employed, because these are hourly-wage people. We just need 75 to 100 people a day, and we’re going to be just fine."
Meanwhile, food truck owners at On Tap in northeast Bend expressed concern that their takeout and delivery options might not be enough to keep them in business, especially with the recent snowy weather.
"I’m kind of waiting to see if there’s even a need or a desire for even takeout food like this, where people can get it to go or have it delivered through delivery services," said Danny Ellis, the owner of Philly Style Food Truck.
Ellis said he's unsure whether their business is not doing too well because of concerns regarding coronavirus, the late winter weather or a mix of both. He said the slow business could force them to shut down for good.
Eric Kramer, the owner of On Tap, said Monday that despite slow business, they've started collecting donations for The Giving Plate, a Bend nonprofit that fights hunger in the region. He said they want to provide food for the elderly and low-income residents who may rely on others the most.
Although the food truck owners told NewsChannel 21 they aren't expecting to lay off any employees, due to the fact they don't have very many, other fast-food workers say their working conditions have changed drastically in the past weekend alone.
"A typical lunch rush, we have eight employees, and my manager ended up sending five people home so we had three people," said Jessica Burnett, a fast-food worker who prefers not to say where she works. "We easily could have had two, which is scary because two people running ice cream, the drive-thru, the grill, it's amazing."
