John Costanzo
The Belvedere Inn
For many of us, March 2020 came very much as a surprise. What once was an epidemic across the world from us became a worldwide pandemic in what felt like overnight. Receiving the news that we were going into lockdown and all non-essential businesses had to close their doors for the foreseeable future was a very scary and almost surreal feeling.
The day we closed our doors we offered all of our fresh produce to the staff so they could fill their refrigerators, along with meats and any already prepped food we had for the week. We promised our employees we would be there if they needed us in any way, while in our minds we were just as worried as they were for our lives and business.
A few months later we were able to open for curbside to-go food and limited outdoor dining—which was something, but not enough to sustain the business and our staff. I remember working Mother’s Day 2020, Belvedere’s busiest to-go food day ever, feeling thrilled that we were able to serve so many guests again. Unfortunately, curbside and a few outside tables were not enough for us to sustain through the summer, so we had to make the hard decision to protect the integrity of our brand and close until we could open again under better circumstances.
September came with good news of being able to open some indoor dining for our guests. We had spent a great deal of money on PPE and safety barriers in the summer, so we were excited to use them and see some familiar faces. With the parameters put on our business, and our industry for that matter, it was exceedingly difficult to keep things going. But we kept it going for our staff and employees. Much of our staff was eligible for unemployment, but at least half of them had issues with long waiting periods or funds being held up for one reason or another.
Thinking outside the box was a must when it came to surviving this. We created large batch to-go cocktails to accompany dinners. We built heated “villas” on our patio to keep the deck open through the cold winter months. We had customized dividers built around our indoor tables. Health checks for employees and guests alike. You name it, we were doing it. We’re committed to keeping our community safe while providing some sense of normalcy and our Belvedere classics.
All and all, we are coming out on the other side of this alive and well. Belvedere has the support of our local community to thank. We would not have made it through without all the love our guests have shown us throughout this past year. If we learned anything from this, it would be that adapting to change is necessary for survival—and people love outdoor dining in heated villas during the winter! Cheers to a Happy and Healthy future!
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The Belvedere Inn
402 N. Queen Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 394-2422
