OCEAN CITY — Many resort businesses are facing a challenging and uncertain future during the ongoing pandemic crisis, and, as usual, it will take a generous local community to keep the area’s restaurants afloat in the coming weeks.
After seeing large crowds out and about celebrating last weekend, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday announced all restaurants and bars and most other places where people gather in large groups must close at 5 p.m. to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, the governor’s order was anticipated and not necessarily shocking, and most agree it was the proper thing to do to help protect the safety of guests and staffs and begin reining in spread of the virus.
Nonetheless, the almost immediate closure – the night before St. Patrick’s Day — is causing challenges for many business owners to keep the cash flow coming in, continuing day-to-day operations to some degree and, perhaps most importantly, keeping employees working and earning some wages. To that end, the local business community, as it is known to do, began immediately coming up with creative methods to keep the doors open on a limited basis and continue to raise some revenue until the crisis ends, from carryout and delivery specials to gift card sales with incentives and other means.
Organizations, such as the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) and the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, along with other local government and support agencies, almost immediately began trying to align its members with available resources such as low-interest small business relief loans and bulk unemployment insurance application processes, for example.
OCHMRA Executive Director Susan Jones said the situation was changing almost hourly, and her association and other support agencies were keeping abreast of the federal, state and local resources available and reaching out to members to put them in touch with those very resources. Jones said the uncertainty of the situation and just how long it would last was causing angst for many.
“It’s certainly a very fluid situation and things change by the minute,” she said. “What has most anxious, including me, is the longevity of the closure, and the inability to foresee an end to this.”
Indeed, it is uncertain when the crisis will end, or at least abate, but local businesses are rallying to stay afloat, keep people working and meet the needs of residents and visitors. It will likely take those residents and even some visitors doing their part during the crisis. Ocean City has a long history of rallying during crises and this one will likely be no different.
Up at the original Greene Turtle, owner Steve Pappas said his establishment will continue to offer carryout and curbside pickup for those who don’t want to come inside.
“We’ll just try to cut spending and raise some money and keep things going the best we can,” he said. “We’ll just try to keep the cash flowing a little and keep people working the best we can. That’s all we can do right now.”
At Buxy’s Salty Dog and Dry Dock 28, similar stop-gap measures are in place with daily carryout specials. Owner Doug Buxbaum said the intent is to continue to provide a service for the community while keeping employees working and earning tips and wages.
“We’re going to take it week to week, day to day really,” he said. “We have a lot of carryout options available, and we’re going to continue to serve the community in any way we can.”
Buxbaum said the concern was naturally for his business and his employees, but also for those in need in the community who may have been laid off or don’t have a lot of resources. He agreed the local community has always looked out for its own and would continue to shine in the current crisis.
“There are people right in our neighborhood in need of help and we’re going to reach out to them and help in any way we can,” he said. “The great thing about this community is that everybody is concerned about each other. We’ve seen it time and time again. We’re just going to do the best we can and try to keep things going.”
Pickles Pub and new Sello’s Italian Oven and Bar owner Justin Acita agreed it would take the community’s support to keep many of the small businesses up and running until the crisis is averted.
“A few weeks closed has a substantial impact on owners and employees,” he said. “There are so many businesses in this town that are owned and operated by so many amazing families that have put their heart and soul into making their dreams a reality. We are strong as a community and will help each other through this together.”
Acita encouraged local residents to support businesses by getting carryout and buying gift cards, for example, so they will still be in place when the situation eases and restaurants, bars and other businesses reopen. “When you can venture back out, be sure to support local businesses because we’ll all need help to get back on our feet,” he said.
Crab Cake Factory owner Johnny Brooks said his company was trying to stay out in front of the crisis the best way it could under the circumstances.
“I am trying to be very proactive and positive as possible,” he said. “We immediately started carryout and delivery seven days a week at the original location and will open our poolside location for carryout and delivery on Friday and Saturday.”
Brooks said the resort has weathered hurricanes and severe storms in the past and would get through this current crisis, which he characterized as unprecedented.
“I am trying to keep employees and give my core people as much as I can,” he said. “We are adjusting on virtually an hourly basis. These are unchartered waters in my 28 years in Ocean City. Hopefully, this too shall pass.”
Zev Sibony, whose company owns the 45th Street Taphouse among other businesses, agreed the closures mandated this week were creating hardships and challenges.
“Basically, everything is touch and go,” he said. “We almost immediately began coming up with ways to best offer carryout and delivery options. My goal in all of this is to keep my employees and allow them to be whole. I have a lot of people that rely on this business for their livelihood.”
The 45th Street Tap House is pictured last Saturday afternoon during St. Patrick’s weekend festivities.
Sibony said he and his staff are examining creative twists on carryout business during the closure including what he characterized as an old-style car-hop service. He said with technology such as hand-held point-of-sale systems available, a new twist on an old concept could work. Whatever incarnation the carryout process in implemented, it’s only likely a stop-gap measure, however.
“It’s not going to be the end all, be all, but it will keep people working,” he said. “I’ve always surrounded myself with great people and I want to and need to keep them. This will help. The frustrating thing is it’s 60 degrees today and it’s supposed to be 80 degrees this weekend. This is the time when we should get rolling.”
While there are many resources being made available to help small businesses through the crisis, not all will make their way to local restaurants and bars affected by the crisis and some will come with hefty paybacks.
“A lot of the relief programs that are being offered are essentially loans,” said Sibony, who pointed to federal bailouts of the banking industry and the auto industry in years past, for example. “A lot of our small businesses aren’t looking for a loan at this point. I don’t think anybody is looking for a handout, but now seems like the right time for restaurants and the service industry to get what others have gotten in the past.”
In the days before Monday’s order closing dine-in areas for restaurants and bars, many resort-area restaurants enjoyed a solid weekend despite the St. Patrick’s parade being canceled, which afforded them a little cushion to help sustain them during the pending closure that would come two days later.
Brooks said the strong weekend will help lessen the blow to some degree as the crisis continues and the closures wear on.
“Thankfully, we had a good St. Pat’s weekend or, honestly, I’m not sure I’d stay open, but our customers and employees rely on us,” he said. “We plan to stay the course.”
Anecdotally, most resort businesses at least attempted to adhere to the 250-person limit urged under state and federal guidelines over the weekend with strict “five out, five in” policies and under creative measures. While many enjoyed a strong weekend fueled by good weather and large crowds that came despite the cancellation of the parade, others chose not to open as planned under the guidelines.
For example, Fish Tales planned to open for parade weekend and likely would have enjoyed a banner couple of days. However, owner Shawn Harman announced early on Saturday his business had chosen not to open in the interest of the health and safety of potential customers and staff.
“We have decided it’s not good for the safety of our customers and our staff to open for this weekend,” he said in the announcement. “We really had to wrestle with this situation. We just think it’s the right thing to do and the staff is behind this 100%.”
