Tom Micklethwait (Micklethwait Craft Meats) likens the current moment to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, when all major sporting events and national landmarks were closed. Sam Hellman-Mass, co-owner of Suerte, expects multiple high-profile restaurants to shutter permanently. And Miguel Cobos, owner of Vaquero Taquero, compares his restaurant to Forrest Gump’s shrimping boat, The Jenny, being battered around during Hurricane Carmen.

Make no mistake: this is a moment of crisis for the hospitality industry, and Austin restaurants are already feeling the pinch. Since last Friday, when three local citizens tested positive for COVID-19, sales in area eateries have plummeted, sending chefs and restaurateurs into a state of panic. Over the weekend, popular destinations like Odd Duck, Hestia, and Micklethwait Craft Meats saw sales drop by as much as 50 percent. And many (such as Dai Due and Olamaie) have already taken drastic measures, preemptively closing their establishments to protect their employees and customers from the spread of the coronavirus.

Chef Kevin Fink (Hestia, Emmer & Rye), is currently in a state of limbo suffered by many: “We’re looking at two terrible options right now, where we cave immediately, and I have to look in the faces of people I’ve worked with for years, and tell them that either I can pay them for a short period of time and bleed the business completely dry. Or I can not pay them for a brief amount of time in the hopes that this will all calm down and things will go back to normal.”

Moral and financial obligations are at odds, as public safety and the career stability of millions hangs in the balance. In major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and New York City (the country’s two most important restaurant markets), local government has already stepped in and announced restrictions that limit bars, restaurants, and cafes to food takeout and delivery. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York also said movie theaters, nightclubs, and concert venues would be forced to close as well. Similar restrictions could be in the works in Texas, sending even more service workers into a dire situation with regards to money and health insurance.

In the meantime, most restaurant owners are searching for creative solutions to weather the storm, such as selling gift cards (with incentives for higher purchases), offering curbside to-go service, as well as some other, truly outside-the-box ideas. Tom Micklethwait is on the verge of temporarily closing his newest concept, Taco Bronco (behind Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches, which closed its doors over the weekend), in order to put more resources into curbside dinner options at his namesake barbecue truck. Aaron Franklin has shut down his dining room completely, and has switched to pick-up only. Meanwhile, Kevin Fink is looking to farm out his cooking staff as private chefs within the community.

“I think everything is on the table at this point,” Fink says. “By employing them out to people’s houses, we’re keeping them safe from contamination, they’ll be getting paid, and we’ll be providing a service to the community in the form of a controlled environment where diners can still get great food.”

Before Mayor Adler or the governor takes those alternative solutions off the table, Austin restaurateurs will continue to fight for their employees, while maintaining a safe environment for their customers. Whether that’s the right solution, or even a viable short-term option remains to be seen. As Bryce Gilmore (Odd Duck, Barley Swine, Sour Duck) admits, “Everyone should probably stay home. That’s what is being recommended by health experts, and that’s probably what should happen. But a lot of people depend on us to survive [at his three restaurants]. So, as long as we can stay open, we will.”