Salinas restaurants struggle with limited outdoor dining
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Restaurants in Salinas are struggling to stay afloat once again after new state order shut down indoor dining.
The ones that are still open hope outdoor seating will bring in some revenue, but two restaurants in oldtown believe there is just not enough space to make it sustainable if closures continue.
"This is a Thursday night. We have nobody here. We have a lamb shank and eating it ourselves, so…" said Paulo Kautz, the owner of Patria.
The once bustling rustic interior of Patria in Salinas now sits empty and quiet. What little outdoor tables there are, harder to put more out because there's just no room because of construction on the street in front of them.
"We have a 6,000 square foot restaurant, a full bar… and we have these two little Mickey Mouse tables here. That is what it is. How can you accumulate some revenues in here, this is impossible," said Kautz.
Kautz says the newly designed downtown street will be good for the city in the long run. But the construction, coupled with COVID-19, will either make or break his restaurant.
"In the restaurant business, once you are behind your bills, it's extremely hard to get back on to the track again," said Kautz.
At Taste of Thai in downtown Salinas, take out orders are still cooking up every day. Adding more outdoor seating will hopefully boost business.
"I'm having the intention to put three more tables outside and make it really nice," said Yan Yangtse, the owner of Taste of Thai.
But the bills are racking up for everyone: for new tables, to-go containers, cleaning supplies and protective equipment.
"It always cost a lot right now. But I'm not thinking about that much. I'm just thinking about how not to lose all your employees," said Yangtse.
Kautz says they are spending more than they are taking in right now. They are hoping the city would help the businesses in downtown financially in some way.
But most of all, these restauranteurs are counting on the average resident for support to make the best of what they can spend here locally.
"Yeah, more outdoor seating would be nice. It'll give you time to come out, get to enjoy the weather, the food," said Danny Madewell, a Salinas resident.
Both Taste of Thai and Patria are open during the week for take out orders and limited outdoor seating, as are many of the other restaurants in oldtown.
The construction on Main Street is scheduled to be done by February of next year or even a little earlier.
PREVIOUS STORY: Several restaurants in Oldtown Salinas are struggling with new indoor dining closure orders that started this week.
Taste of Thai and Patria restaurants both have at least two outdoor seating tables, but both say it is difficult to maintain a business with only those options.
Patria's owner says on top of COVID-19 closures, they have had to deal with the construction that has decimated their sidewalk and parking area for the last few months.
KION's Josh Kristianto has more tonight at 10 and 11 p.m.
