Some restaurants thrive while others struggle in the age of COVID-19

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Tacoma’s restaurant and bar scene seemed to be thriving as the new decade began in January. Now with the coronavirus forcing most small businesses to close their doors, many owners are counting the days between survival and shutting down.

“Maybe one more month, I suppose,” said Jason Alexander, owner of Devil’s Reef, a successful and highly popular craft cocktail bar and restaurant in Tacoma’s Opera Alley.

Alexander was in the process of expanding, opening a second business in the Stadium District. Then came the COVID-19 shutdown.

“Obviously we’re not working. No money is coming in the doors, unemployment for myself and the staff,” said Alexander. He’s applied for small business loans from the federal government, state of Washington and city of Tacoma to help make it through, only to encounter delays. “Everybody said that this was going to be easy to get grants and stimulus money, but it hasn’t been easy, and it’s frustrating and confusing.”

It’s a different story at Best Burger in Lakewood where business is booming because other restaurants are closed.

“We’re doing pretty good,” said co-owner Brian Flajole. “We’re kind of made for this stuff. We’re only drive-thru and walk-up, takeout. We use delivery services.”

Flajole says he has been able to give employees more hours at work to meet demand. “I would say we’re probably doing summer product movement now in early spring,”he said.

“That’s really the exception to a massive rule,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association. “On the full-service side, most of them are flat out closed down.”

Anton says as the shutdown drags on some restaurant owners will have to make tough decisions.

“If they can’t make that leap then make the hard decision now. Ripping a Band Aid is tough, but it’s honest,” said Anton.

Alexander says for him, decision time is close. “We’re going to hold out until the first of June and see what happens. If we have to walk, we walk.”

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