It’s hard to get an accurate read on how the restaurant industry is coping with the pandemic.
Some restaurants are operating largely in a normal way. Others have had to pivot and go mobile. Others are still closed.
Jesse recently spoke with the owner of the Gaslight Group in Savannah, Brian Huskey, to get his perspective.
He affectionately refers to Brian as the “poster boy for restaurants.” Whenever input is needed from the restaurant industry, Brian gets the phone call.
Jesse: We wanted to invite you on because this year obviously being the ridiculous year that it has been for the restaurant industry, not just here but across American really. How would you – we could drop a lot of four letter words to describe this year – but how would you say things have been going in the last 90 days? Where do you think we are?
Brian: Well, the frustration really or the hesitation is to hang our hat on any sort of success because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We don’t know what’s going to happen next month. We’re going into fall/winter. We’re already starting to see COVID numbers peak. So who knows? There’s no stability right now. We’re still kind of on eggshells.
The past 90 days have been good. Really. We still have a restaurant that’s closed, so that’s a fact. We still have a location that’s operating at about 60% norm. Our other locations are doing just fine, and our mobile side business is maintaining as well.
For those that don’t know, Gaslight is B. Matthews, Five Spot – where you are right now on Habersham – you have 5 Spot on Broughton which is the one you just mentioned is still closed, you’ve got Abe’s on Lincoln which is one of my favorite dive bars, and what am I forgetting? Is that it?
B. Matthews, 5 Spot, Abe’s.
I say all the time, as often as I can, whether here on this show or on social media or wherever it is, just ‘cause these guys are open, doesn’t mean everything is great and people are back to printing money.
You guys are still struggling, and the challenges are greater to navigate everything, whether it be because of lower numbers or labor or all of that stuff, is that not the case?
It is the case, and you know a lot of our business right now is to-go and also on the food truck, so our paper costs have gone out the roof. That’s anywhere from 5% of your total.
And then also the Ubers and the Savannah Takeouts and the Doordashes, those people want their cut as well. So just because you’re sending food out the door, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re making a lot of profit.
Yeah, the big thing has been watching the meteoric rise of your Five Spot Truck this year. You’ve had it out for a few months, and it’s been gangbusters since pretty much Day One, huh?
It was gangbusters when all the other restaurants were closed. That was our biggest pivot.
We had to shut down our brick-and-mortars; except for the Five Spot in Midtown which we still did to-go and delivery. We got out in the community pretty much six days a week. We were doing doubles, taking our brand to the different neighborhoods that couldn’t go out to eat. It was great!
Back then, we were using our concession trailer that we bought in 2016, and since then, we have sold that and bought a brand new truck that was custom made for us in Atlanta. It’s great. It’s great to take it out on the street.
We just did our first stint at Starland Yard this past Saturday, and we were very pleased to be invited to that partnership.
That’s been our biggest pivot during COVID was just the mobile aspect.
What are you hearing? Obviously a lot of friends who are owners/operators and all of that in this community – I got some numbers from someone up the ladder that weekend occupancy in hotels are about where they were last year during the week. They might be a little down hotel-wise, but what are you hearing about how people are doing across the board right now?
From a hotel standpoint?
From restaurants.
I think if you’re open, and your price points are where they need to be, you’re fine. We’re seeing a different visitor right now.
It might take a little while to get back to where we were because the hotel rates have obviously decreased in order for them to survive, but if you go downtown on a Saturday or a Sunday, it’s bustling. It’s really interesting to see people walking around Savannah this time of year. In the past 14 years, we haven’t seen that much activity.
The question is why? Are parents of school-aged children who are still forced to Zoom-teach traveling? Are they staying in hotel rooms to Zoom class then going out? Are they going to the beach or are they staying home?
Yeah, a lot of that’s going on in Hilton Head. I talked to people over there, and everybody’s busy, and they’re seeing people on the beach.
Who are the kids? Well, the kids are Zooming in these condos, and then they’re going out to eat or doing whatever it is that they do.
Before you go, do you have an update on 5 Spot Broughton? I know you’ve been using it for a couple of events here and there, but do have a timetable? Do you have any thoughts on what’s going on there?
We’re going to wait until 2021 and then we’ll make our decision as to when we’re going to reopen. I was beating myself up pretty hard trying to make that decision, and finally, after talking to everyone, I was like let’s just put it on the backburner for now. We’ll know exactly what our hard costs are by not opening. That helps us sleep at night.
Labor still a big struggle for all of you guys?
Yeah. Finding people and retaining people has been the one norm throughout all this. Nothing different there.
Has it been more challenging with the pandemic?
Well, you get them in the door, you get them trained, and then you have to worry about whether or not they have a temperature. Who are they hanging out with? You’re trying to coerce them to not go out and be stupid. But as far as finding talent, it’s still the same struggle.
B. Matthew's Eatery 325 East Bay Street Savannah Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The 5 Spot 4430 Habersham Street Savannah Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday 11 .m. - 10 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Abe's on Lincoln 17 Lincoln Street Savannah Hours: Mon. - Sat. 4 p.m. - 2:59 a.m.
