RESTAURANT GUIDE
Restaurant owners pivot to survive – and thrive – in pandemic
Hull said, noting the restaurant was “crazy busy” and had to double kitchen and counter staff to keep up. “And the uptick in delivery was crazy, too.” With people stuck at home in the early days of the pandemic, the restaurant saw a significant increase in business and sales have yet to dip, Hull said. “We exploded, to be honest,” he said. Indoor dining remains way off, so that has been a big change, according to Hull, adding “we used to pack this house on the weekends.” Meanwhile, the restaurant is following CDC protocols. Every hour on the hour masked and gloved staff members are sanitizing the eatery, which is physical distancing as well, he said. COVID-19 ‘didn’t really hurt us,’ new Sunrise owner says Sunrise Café closed at the beginning of the pandemic, but it wasn’t dark long. Billy Godwin bought and renovated the restaurant and re-opened in September. It has been renamed Sunrise Diner and he has no regrets.
ensure pizzas went from oven to box and remained unopened through delivery to the home, said Jesse Rutledge of Round Rock Restaurant Group, which owns 33 Papa John’s stores including Maricopa’s. Mandatory masks, sanitizing
“I didn’t really hurt us,” he said. “We had to keep the people coming in.” In some respects, it was a good time to
BY BOB MCGOVERN
open the doors and have the opportunity to wade in a bit more slowly. “We kept the menu small, and we were trying to push out good, consistent quality food,” he said. The restaurant is following CDC guidelines – wiping down and sanitizing, face masks for staff and physical distancing. “We moved some tables to facilitate that.” And outdoor tables for dining will be coming soon, he said.
T alk about a cloud with a silver lining. For restaurants in Maricopa the pandemic was a huge challenge requiring significant changes to how they served their customers. But those adapting quickly and effectively have reaped the benefits, with meals flying out the doors at some places and driving healthier bottom lines. InMaricopa talked to a few restaurant owners about how they transformed their businesses during the public health crisis. Two were bold enough to open their kitchens in the midst of it all. All said they are now well-positioned for success, no matter what the future holds. Roots Eatery chef on pandemic launch: ‘I figured I’d go to battle’ Christopher Spear opened Roots Eatery in July — in the middle of the public health crisis. The fast-casual restaurant opened slow,
and that helped, said the chef-owner. They relied on curbside pickup, with as much as 90% of orders served that way on some days. “It didn’t mean much of a change for us,” he said. “It heightened the alert for everybody. We were more thorough with our cleaning and sanitizing, wiping the door handle and other common touch points.” Before the opening, Spear said he and his wife talked about the wisdom of launching a restaurant during a pandemic. Roots is the seventh restaurant he has opened but the first he has owned. “We thought about walking away from a $20,000 investment,” he said. “But I figured I’d go to battle.” It helped that his landlord was supportive. “I knew he had my back,” he said. Ultimately, he said, it came down to sustaining his vision. “We were just looking at the end goal: feeding the people of Maricopa.”
and handwashing, and plexiglass at the front counter were other steps taken to keep customers and employees safe. She expects the chain will offer curbside delivery in January.Round Rock hired 100 people who had lost their jobs or been furloughed, including an Applebee’s staffer who lost her job and is now working as a manager at the Maricopa store, Rutledge said In addition, pizzas were delivered to food banks and
Kyle Norby
Billy Godwin bought, remodeled, reopened and renamed Sunrise Diner during the pandemic.
At Barro’s, a jump in sales continued When COVID-19 hit, Barro’s transitioned to an alternate form of meal delivery. “We had a tent set up outside for curbside pickup,” general manager Mike Christopher Spear, chef-owner at Roots Eatery, with his Pan Seared Salmon with Zucchini Pasta, Candied Bacon and Tomato-Bacon Cream Sauce. Bob McGovern
Papa John’s: Pizzas, prevention, jobs and community service
shelters to feed the hungry, she said. “It was so crazy and stressful. We were delivering smiles and the pizzas were extra.”
When the pandemic hit, Papa John’s was one of the first pizza chains to offer no-touch delivery and quality seals to
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Resraurant Guide 2021 • InMaricopa.com
InMaricopa.com • Resraurant Guide 2021
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