Local merchants plan for the worst, hope for the best
Swannanoa Valley businesses face uncertainty over COVID-19 pandemic
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
Ray Nightingale, one of the owners of Veranda Cafe & Gifts in downtown Black Mountain, is among the local restaurant owners implementing a carry-out and delivery system as the COVID-19 pandemic forces dining establishments to make changes to how they do business. Fred McCormick
There was an air of uncertainty in the heart of Black Mountain’s central business district this morning, as a steady rain fell onto Cherry Street. Just hours before Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order directing all N.C. restaurants, bars and breweries to close their doors to dine-in customers, many in the Swannanoa Valley were well into the process of setting those plans into motion.
Veranda Cafe & Gifts was one of several locally owned and operated restaurants in the area to offer carry-out and delivery services for customers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced a growing number of businesses to close their doors to the public.
“We began offering delivery service for customers within the town limits of Black Mountain today,” said Ray Nightingale, one of the owners of Veranda. “Yesterday, we limited the dining area to no more than 10 people at a time, and seated people a safe distance away from each other. Now we’re getting ready to close to dine-in customers for the next few weeks.”
The Veranda was one of 11 local hospitality businesses to announce in a joint statement on March 16 that members of the alliance, collectively known as the Black Mountain Hospitality Group, were working individually to accommodate carry-out and delivery orders.
The restrictions on large crowds to combat the spread of the new strand of the Coronavirus has forced restaurant owners to make significant changes in a short period of time, according to John Richardson, owner of the Black Mountain Ale House and Black Mountain Brewing.
“It’s a really scary thing, honestly,” Richardson said. “This whole thing has the potential to have widespread repercussions for the economy and it's still too early to know the impact it could have on disposable income in general.”
The abrupt change in the way restaurants are doing business has forced many of them to scale back shifts for their employees.
“We’re operating with a skeleton crew,” Richardson said of the Ale House. “Our back-of-house staff is still working to prepare meals, but with our dining area closed, we can’t schedule as many front-of-house staff.”
Ice cream shop, The Hop Black Mountain, closed its doors to dine-in customers on March 17. The store was one of several in the Swannanoa Valley forced to make changes amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Fred McCormick
It’s hard to predict what will happen in the upcoming weeks and months, Richardson said, but it’s critical for local businesses to find ways to adjust.
“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” Richardson said on Monday. “So, on our end, we’re working to prepare for curbside service and deliveries. Folks want to keep eating the comfort foods that the Ale House and other local restaurants offer.”
Foothills Local Meats, which operates several locations in the area, including its Black Mountain Butcher Bar, began exclusively offering carry-out options on March 16. The company’s butcher shop will continue to offer meat and deli products while the restaurant will provide prepared “heat and eat” to-go meals.
Many area businesses have provided regular updates in changes in service on social media platforms.
Dynamite Roasting Company announced this morning on Facebook that its cafe would be closed to the public for now and the Black Mountain-based business will continue its wholesale and mail order services. The Dripolator Coffeehouse closed its indoor seating to customers, as well, while continuing to fill to-go orders.
Local nonprofit organizations, like the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry, have also been impacted by the pandemic.
“We are open, but people are not are not coming inside,” said SVCM executive director Cheryl Wilson. “We have a list posted outside with items that are available and clients can check off the items they want and volunteers fill the carts and bring them out.”
The situation for the Ministry, which works to assist Swannanoa Valley residents in need, is an evolving one, Wilson continued.
“Food is our biggest need, and as this situation develops, we’re going to figure out if we need to put food boxes together that can be picked up at local churches,” she said. “Of course utilities cannot be turned off at this time, so we’re not seeing as many needs for assistance with those, but people need food.”
SVCM received a shipment of nearly 4,000 pounds of food from MANNA FoodBank on March 16, according to Wilson.
“The stores that we pick up from have not had as much to give us lately,” she said. “But, the staples are what we’re trying to make sure people have.”
The Ministry served 18 people by noon on March 17, according to assistant director Brynda Hunter.
“Folks are really concerned,” she said of the clients seeking service. “But everyone has been calm and very thankful.”
The changes brought about by the spread of COVID-19 have been challenging, according to Richardson, but the need for them is understandable.
“As a business owner, I’d be fine if we looked at Europe and just shut everything down like many places have done there,” he said. “I’d rather err on the side of caution than risk spreading this. Things will be tough, but this community will need to find ways to continue supporting each other.”