With Rhode Island’s restaurant industry facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus and subsequent mandated closings and restructuring, Edible Rhody recently spoke with five Providence restaurant owners to find out how they are faring. Here are their reflections on living, working and surviving in the current crisis. See the resources section at the end to learn more about what you can do to support struggling local restaurateurs and their staff, plus information for hospitality workers seeking assistance.

Chez Pascal

“We cannot honestly think beyond today; every day is the last day,” said Kristin Gennuso, who owns Chez Pascal and Wurst Kitchen with her husband and business partner, Matthew “Matt” Gennuso. “We would have been done completely last week if it wasn’t for our to-go menu.”

Although the to-go menu has been extraordinarily well received, with both old and new customers placing orders, Kristin said, “[Business] loans still will have to be paid—we need to put a pause on all of our bills … we need a long time to pay our bills.” Without more legal and accounting knowledge, she is reluctant to launch a GoFundMe donations campaign and worries that gift cards can be a liability.

The Rhode Island Hospitality Association, which just launched an industry fundraising campaign, and colleagues have been enormously helpful. “We would be … a puddle of tears if it wasn’t for the [Association]. Our friends in the industry, we talk and talk and talk, supporting one another,” said Kristin. “We are all united; there’s not one [restaurant] business that is going to come out of this unscathed.”

Offering free meals to their laid-off employees, the couple gain emotional strength from their customers. “If love, kindness and support were currency, we would be set for life,” she said. “The only way through this is by keeping a focused and clear head, pointing in the right direction.”

Reflecting on discussions with Matt and others, Kristin said, “We don’t see restaurants being the same [post-virus]. Unless everyone turns to fast-casual, then it might be sustainable. Overhead is getting worse and prices aren’t anywhere near what they should be. Nothing will ever be the same; we have to collectively be honest about where the [restaurant] business is going.”

New Rivers

New Rivers’ Chef/co-owner Beau Vestal is busy feeding his 15 laid-off employees and juggling child care duty with his wife, Elizabeth, for their three young children. “We’re trying to be creative; it’s important for us that the meals we’re making are somewhat healthy,” says Beau. “We have tons of dried beans, rice and grains … we’ll feed people as long as it lasts. Even if we have to go to the supermarket and get chicken legs to roast, and it costs me some out-of-pocket money, it’s one of the things we’ve got to do.”

“The New Rivers staff has been so appreciative; they understand it’s our way of working for them,” he adds. Shortly after the shutdown, staff congregated at the bar to eat; now they must keep their distance, and no one can enter the restaurant. “We’ve gotten some good response from our GoFundMe campaign. Those funds will be split up equally [to our employees]. We’re waiting for this to pass,” said Beau.

While scores of customers have called to offer help, Beau said, “It’s never my style to ask for anything; I’m too stubborn.” Nevertheless, gift card purchases do provide immediate, essential cash flow. “Our bills won’t go away and gift cards will let us chip away at them. The last thing people want to come back to is a mountain of insurmountable debt.”

The 30-year-old restaurant’s loyal customer base will return post-virus, Beau believes. He wonders: What will the “new normal” look like for small dining rooms and chef-owned restaurants? “The big scary thing is that no one really knows,” he admitted. “I’m somewhat of a control freak and the biggest challenge in some ways is the lack of control, and lack of knowing what the future holds.” In the meantime, Beau and Elizabeth are busy putting together a Sunday food pickup program for online ordering of prepared foods. Stay tuned!