NEW HAVEN, Conn. — With the rapid rise in Covid cases and steady increase in hospitalizations statewide, New Haven's mayor is suggesting restaurants revisit a position they were they were in last spring.
But restaurants believe a move like that would severely damage that business sector in Connecticut.
If Gov. Ned Lamont (D - Connecticut) takes the advice of Mayor Justin Elicker (D - New Haven), who suggests restaurants roll back to Phase 1 of the state's reopening, which includes take out or delivery, that would not be an option for the famed Union League Cafe on New Haven's Chapel St.
"Especially with us being fine dining, it’s hard to change our concept so easily," said Christina FitzGerald, Co-Owner. "Fine dining food does not travel well."
And it’s not just lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch for this New Haven staple of nearly three decades.
"We also have a private second dining floor that holds two rooms and we usually do about 600 events annually and you know we lost about 90% of those events," FitzGerald laments.
"I’ve expressed my views on that to the governor's team and I think that now in order for the long-term health of the economy and health of our community we should be making that decision," Elicker said of a Phase 1 reboot.
But restaurants say they would be crushed if the Governor decided to do what Elicker suggests.
"And we know that over 600 (restaurants) have already closed their doors either permanently or without a date to reopen," said Scott Dolch, Executive Director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association.
Since the advent of COVID, the Union League Cafe's staff has been more than cut in half from 65 down to 30.
"Overall, we are down over 60% of our business," FitzGerald said.
"And I think takeout and to-go is normally about an 8 to 10 to 12 percent of a bottom line of a restaurant," Dolch said.
Like most restaurants, the Union League prides itself on compliance with CDC and state cleaning guidelines.
"We have disposable menus; we clean and sanitize the table and chairs after each seating," said FitzGerald, who is partners with General Manager/Sommelier Romain Turpault and Executive Chef Guillaume Traversaz. The temperature of customers and employees is also taken.
Tuesday marked the reopening for their French-inspired brasserie, which had been closed for two weeks following the positive Covid tests of two back of house employees.