Tri-Cities restaurants pivot to curbside and delivery to survive the coronavirus shutdown

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t until Tuesday, but The Pub in Kennewick will be serving up its last green beer before midnight Monday when the statewide closure goes into effect.

“We’re definitely upset. It’s going to be hard to make up these two weeks, but it’s all for a good cause, to keep everybody healthy,” said David Vega, general manager of the 7001 W. Clearwater Ave. pub.

One day after ordering the shutdown of all restaurants, bars, entertainment and recreational facilities across Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee clarified that it will last for at least two weeks.

The executive proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

A number of Tri-City eateries are getting creative and taking advantage of the fact the state government is allowing them to remain open solely for to-go orders.

Some restaurants and bars are instituting curbside pickup, and others are utilizing their own staff for deliveries or online platforms like Door Dash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.

Uber Eats announced early Monday that it is supporting the “Eat Local” effort during these challenging times by waiving delivery fees on all orders from independent restaurants on the app.

But establishments like The Pub decided to close up shop as ordered, do some spring cleaning and wait it out.

They took precautions on the final day of operation, making sure no more than 50 people were inside the 7001 W. Clearwater Ave. bar at one time.

Vega told the Tri-City Herald that he believes most of the employees will use their accumulated sick time during the forced break, but said the owners were still talking Monday about how to handle it.

He added that tapped beer kegs and liquor will survive the shut down.

Food supply worries

“The biggest thing is our food supply. We’re going to give out a majority of it to employees to take home,” said Vega. “Anything that can spoil, they will take it home so they can use it.”

He said what’s most important is everyone stay safe while the country deals with this pandemic.

“Take time, stay home, stay safe,” said Vega. “We’ll be here when it’s all over.”

The owners of Tap & Barrel, a bar in south Richland, decided just because they have to close their doors to the public doesn’t mean people should stop getting the complete meal package — food and adult beverages.

Customers can order to-go dinners, along with a growler of beer or a bottle of wine.

“We had two choices — close or get creative. We chose to get creative,” owners Kendra and Jason Sadler said in a news release. “Our customers enjoy our food with a cold craft beer or wine and this will continue. They can pick up or we will deliver to their home or business.”

The meal can either be picked up at 112 Keene Drive or delivered at no extra cost.

Menu items range from trays of sliders of Philly cheesesteak, Cubans and chicken bacon tomato jam to meat or vegetarian lasagna, green chile enchiladas and soups.

Joel Watson was breathing a little better late Monday morning after Inslee said the closure tentatively will last two weeks. He is worried it can end up going six weeks to two months.

The owner of Just Joel’s Cafe in Kennewick said it will hurt his small diner because they run on a tight budget. But he is prepared to fight, saying the business will now offer delivery to customers.

Watson rushed to two stores and bought up $1,200 in styrofoam to-go containers.

Taking care of employees

While Just Joel’s already offers carryout service at 1505 W. Kennewick Ave. with its normal breakfast and lunch menu, Watson and his 10 employees are prepared to drive around town making deliveries.

“I just want to make sure my employees make some money. Financially, me, I’m OK, but I have a whole crew that needs to get paid,” said Watson.

“All of my employees will continue to work. I’m going to work them all through this,” he added. “That’s my No. 1 goal right now is to take care of my crew. They’re my family, they got my back, and it’s time to get theirs.”

Across the river at Havana Cafe in Pasco, owner Leo Morales said he too plans to offer curbside pickup for customers.

But he said the service is all dependent on the availability of to-go boxes, which he found were sold out Monday morning around the Tri-Cities. He is hoping his supplier can come through.

The 404 W. Lewis St. restaurant only has four employees, not enough to take on delivery in addition to food prep. So he is working with the three main online ordering and delivery platforms — Door Dash, Grubhub and Uber Eats — for customers who want the food brought to them.

Keeping the community fed

He also has offered to serve free lunches to children age 10 and under who are out of school for the next six weeks. However, he still is trying to work out the logistics for how that food will be delivered.

“Right now we’re kind of figuring out what we’re going to do,” Morales told the Herald. “Every day is different.”

Monday, during what normally would have been a bustling lunch hour at CG Public House & Catering, Kyle Simmons noted the dining room was empty.

Minutes before, the governor signed the proclamation that is shuttering the 9221 W. Clearwater Ave. restaurant.

Simmons, CG’s director of operations, said they are responding by offering takeout and delivery. The delivery is free with a minimum $20 order.

“We have seven catering vans that are sitting empty right now, and we might as well utilize that resource to start delivering food to people that would normally go out to eat or want takeout,” he told the Herald. “We hope that this can help keep us afloat and help keep the community fed.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 4:05 PM.