Christopher and Martha Henney, owners of River: A Waterfront Restaurant and Bar in Wethersfield, had become accustomed last summer to as many as 700 reservations on a Saturday night, with phones ringing constantly.
When the COVID-19 pandemic limited the restaurant to delivery and curbside pickup only in March, business slowed, and the phones began to ring just once every 15 or so minutes.
“A lot of long and waiting hours,” Martha Henney said.
When the restaurant reopened its outdoor dining areas last Wednesday in accordance with phase one of the state’s Reopen Connecticut plan, and customers began to fill up its 60-seat outdoor patio, there was a renewed energy at River, for both ownership and customers.
“We oscillated back and forth; are people going to come out?” Christopher Henney said. “But from the minute we opened the doors, there were people there, and they were smiling, and they were having a cocktail, and you could just tell it had been a long time since they were able to do this, and they were relishing every bit of it. That part has been extremely gratifying.”
Christopher Henney said that average age of the restaurants customers was initially on the younger side in its first few days of reopening, but that on Sunday and Monday, he saw an older crowd coming out. Martha Henney saw a substantial amount of guests coming from Massachusetts or New York, where restaurants are still closed, for the opportunity to dine by the water.
According to Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, just under 25 percent of the state’s restaurants reopened last week, with many lacking the facilities to support outdoor dining, or the financial preparedness to return to business.
Most restaurants that did reopen have received positive feedback from customers, Dolch said, with many guests grateful for the reopenings. Hennessy said that restaurants have reported few issues when it comes to social distancing, with only a few customers forgetting to bring or wear a mask. Because the setup is so new, there have been a few tweaks needed to be made through the week, ranging from safety issues such as enforcing the social distancing of kitchen staff, to customer service enhancements, such as reminding waiters and bartenders to act extra animated to express a positive attitude.
“Because they’re wearing masks, they need to be even more animated because you can’t see their smiles,” said Martha Henney. “That was one of the aspects we hadn’t thought about.”
Max’s Oyster Bar in West Hartford is open, but with only five tables available outside. Bob Cooke, managing partner for Max’s, said the restaurant has been open from 12 to 9 p.m. every day since Wednesday, and has been constantly at max capacity, with up to hour and a half wait time for tables. The restaurant can usually seat up over 200 guests.
“It’s pretty seamless,” Cooke said. “The majority have been wearing masks, but not everyone. We give them a mask when they come in … they’re a little surprised when we tell them they have to wear a mask. But it’s easy for us to manage with just five tables.”
Dolch recognizes that the new setup is uncharted territory for the state’s restaurateurs, but commended their creativity and willingness to adapt. The association holds weekly Zoom meetings and call for owners, which has led to the sharing of ideas, from ways to keep customers and staff safe as well as improving everything from curbside pickup to customer service.
He said that less than 25% of restaurants in the state have reopened thus far, though others are in the process of doing so, or looking to create an outdoor dining setup suitable for use.
“It’s definitely a learning curve for everybody,” said Dolch. “It’s new for the owners, it’s new for the employees, even the customers. I think every day that goes by, we’re going to have a better understanding of that for all parties involved.”
In addition to on-the-fly adjustments, restaurants’ business is now dependent on the weather. Restaurateurs and customers alike lucked out last week, with weather largely in the high-60s to mid-70s, with Saturday being the only day mostly washed out due to rain. Warm weather on Sunday and Monday saw restaurants in populated areas like West Hartford center running at full capacity.
“If it’s an iffy day, we’re just going to have to tell them to get their food to-go,” said Cooke. “We can’t bring them inside like we used to.”
The CRA is still pushing for Gov. Ned Lamont to move up its expected June 20 date for the reopening of indoor dining, though Lamont has yet to budge. Alongside the financial concerns of keeping restaurants closed, Dolch worries that with Rhode Island planning to allow indoor dining on June 1, some residents who live close to the state’s border may choose to bring their business across state lines.
In the meantime, restaurants are continuing to improve their outdoor dining services, or establish an outdoor presence altogether so they can reopen. Some businesses are waiting on town approval to convert outdoor areas into patio dining. Henney said River is in the process of constructing an addition to its outdoor dining area which will seat another 70 guests.
“You have to rethink how your restaurant was working pre-COVID to how it’s working now,” Dolch said. “If you think it’s a business model that’s going to be super successful, it’s not, it’s about survival and figuring it out in the short term, and hopefully it gets better.”
Shawn McFarland can be reached at smcfarland@courant.com.
