Many fast-food chains are thriving during the coronavirus pandemic, but local Spokane-area restaurants are struggling to stay afloat, according to Ruins restaurant owner Tony Brown.
Brown, who also owns three other restaurants, Eyvind, Hunt and Stellas, took to Facebook on Wednesday to voice his frustrations.
“Business has been down 60 to 70%” Brown said. He’s had to make major cuts.
“This last shutdown was a little more extreme I guess, we were able to sustain it with takeout for a while, we went from 42 employees to 4,” said Brown.
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Washington state temporarily shut down indoor dining again in November due to rising coronavirus cases, after an initial shutdown in the spring. Takeout and limited outdoor dining are still allowed.
After this second wave of restrictions, Brown said it’s been harder to keep their doors open this time around.
“Fast food sales are up 300%” Brown wrote in his Facebook post, and in fact Forbes magazine recently reported fast food chains like McDonalds, for example, jumped 90% during the pandemic, with it’s strongest sales in some 10 years.
Brown said he understands the popularity of fast food chains.
“You know I eat it too sometimes,” he said.
But during this second shutdown, he wanted to remind everyone that local restaurants are “still here” and really need community support.
“Obviously it's a little more expensive than fast food, you know, coming to a restaurant like ours, you're coming for the experience the comfort knowing everything you’re eating is sourced responsibly, it’s an idea you're going to get good food,” said Brown.
Just one day after that Facebook post, Brown’s honest and emotional post resonated with Spokane.
Spokane residents heard Brown’s call for support loud and clear.
Brown posted on Thursday: “We literally sold more food than we could handle.”
On Friday, he said the restaurant sold 290 burritos.