Westchester Restauratuers Discuss The New Norm
At press time, most of these restaurants started offering outdoor dining.
As Westchester restaurants remain shuttered for dining in, a growing number of those that initially closed due to uncertainty and concern over the coronavirus have reopened their doors for takeout and delivery. The restaurateurs we spoke with are keeping their operations lean, are taking all the necessary safety precautions for their staff and patrons, and are, while not making money doing this, getting back to doing in some measure what they love.
Mogan Anthony, executive chef for The Village Social Group, says regarding his Westchester restaurants, “We initially decided to take a step back and plan our new model.” With four restaurants in two towns, Locali and Village Social in Mt. Kisco and Fatt Root and Pub Street in Pleasantville – Anthony and his team decided to only work out of one kitchen in each town and combine menus. Both Locali and Fatt Root already did substantial takeout business, so they had some ideas of what worked and what didn’t. For the other restaurants, Anthony notes, they had to figure out what food would travel best and be the easiest to cook with reduced staff, and the easiest for people to put together at home. Anthony says that people have different expectations when it comes to price points of takeout food.
Photo: LoHud.com Christina Drake & Matt Safarowic of Katonah’s The Whitlock and Jay St Cafe
“People are willing to pay more for food when dining in as they’re enjoying ambience and service.”
“People are looking for comfort food and simple items,” says Christina Drake, co-owner with husband/chef Matt Safarowic of Katonah’s The Whitlock and Jay St Cafe. The Whitlock reopened as “we learned about the virus and felt we were able to operate safely in a small way,” Drake says. The reason for opening was twofold, she notes. “We were hearing from the community that they wanted us to reopen; we wanted to do something both for residents who would order takeout and also serve those in the community who are food insecure.”
As with many other restaurants, not only can customers order food for their families, but can add a meal to go to a frontline worker or, in The Whitlock’s case, The Community Center of Northern Westchester. Drake notes that the regular menu has some customer favorites and they add specials depending on what may be at a specific farm or vendor.
Photo: Daily Voice Elvi Hoxhaj, co-owner of Kee Oyster House
“We can’t change our menu and pricing every day even though the market where we get our seafood from isn’t working as efficiently as it did before the virus,” says Elvi Hoxhaj, co-owner of Kee Oyster House, White Plains. Noting that restaurants had already seen a steep decline in sales and event cancellations prior to official closure, Hoxhaj echoes Anthony’s statement about keeping takeout price points lower than what is on a dine-in menu. “This is definitely not business as usual as restaurants need foot traffic, but we want to connect with our regular customers and put some people back to work.”
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten echoes that sentiment when talking about The Inn at Pound Ridge.
“Feedback from the community has been wonderful.” He says he wants guests to know by ordering takeout, “they are directly supporting the individuals who work at our restaurant.”
Vongerichten noticed that people are ordering their food earlier in the evening, so adjusted hours accordingly, and to accommodate families who are quarantined together the restaurant, in addition to regular menu offerings, offers larger entrée items that can be served cold to cook at home.
With two restaurants under his stewardship, Harper’s, Dobbs Ferry, and Saint George Bistro, Hastings, Chris Vergari says he initially closed St. George’s and kept Harper’s open both to cook humanitarian meals and to offer takeout.
“In addition to customer uncertainty, we had to balance the concerns of our staffs.” As with his peers, Vergari says he’s had conversations with his employees about what their lives look like outside the restaurants to ensure their safety, that of their co-workers, and their customers. “We’re obviously not going to have the revenues we had when our restaurants were open, but right now feeding those in need and offering the takeout enables us to do what we’re best at – feeding people.”
All the restaurants are taking advantage of their ability to offer cocktails-to-go and are doing innovative “pop-ups,” for holidays. As for what diners should know as takeout will be here to stay for some time, restauranteurs urge patience as they get used to this new business model.
Vongerichten says, “We’ve been working hard to make sure guests receive the same quality that they learned to love while dining in our restaurant.” Hoxhaj says, “Local and small businesses matter; customers shouldn’t be afraid of ordering from reputable, owner-operated restaurants.” Vergari says customers should look for restaurants that are participating in feeding frontline workers. “Donate to your favorite gofundme or buy a gift card from your favorite restaurant,” he says.
Drake notes, “This is our business model for the foreseeable future.” Looking forward, Anthony says that those restaurants that survive “will be those that know how to reinvent themselves and make sure they have a strong presence in their communities.”