Restaurants are having a difficult time surviving as we enter our third year of the pandemic.
John Barker, the President and CEO of the Ohio Restaurant Association says the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant isn't making the situation any better.
"We talk to our members all over Northwest Ohio. Of course, Toledo, Perrysburg, and one of the things we hear is how this feels eerily like 2020. Because there's so many unknowns," said Barker.
Running a restaurant right now in another wave of the pandemic is no walk in the park.
"Ever since I became a business owner, end of 2009, I've always said that we learn things every day. And these past 2 years have been no doubt the same," said Trevor Deeter, the owner of The Brick Bar and several Deet's BBQ locations.
Deeter had to shut down Deet's BBQ downtown right after the pandemic started.
He says a vacant downtown led him to have to convert the establishment into something that would keep business going.
"We still have the building. We still have a great relationship with the building owner there. And we decided to revamp the concept into what it is now. The Brick Bar. Craft cocktails, live music venue," said Deeter.
Deeter is only one of many other owners who still have a lease where they run their business.
It left him with no choice but to figure something out.
"It's difficult though because many of these restaurants - particularly these sit-down restaurants that have to make these kinds of changes - they're still paying off debt from 2020. And a lot of them have rent that's due. They have all their bills are due," said Barker.
Barker, says the new Omicron variant and a shortage in staffing is forcing a lot of these restaurants to close.
"I think most of us thought we wouldn't be into this you know by this time. We were hoping this would all be over. And so it's something we'll have to take a look at with the state. We're certainly talking with the federal government," said Barker.
It's another hit to restaurants that were already struggling.
For Deeter, he says it's the different strategies he's used in order to keep his business afloat.
"Early on with COVID, we did the grubs for scrubs initiative to raise money for local hospitals and we went out and that kept our business alive. If we wouldn't had stuff like that or some of the funding we got, I can't guarantee you we'd be having this interview now. That's 100 percent," said Deeter.
Barker says the Ohio Restaurant Association is asking the federal government to look into COVID relief for businesses that are being hit really hard.
That includes places like restaurants, hotels, and hair salons.
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