"Patio heaters are back," The Irish Rover exulted in an October 27 Facebook post. (Irish Rover photo by Colleen O’Leary.)

Winter is coming. Will it be another bumpy ride for local restaurants? Can we do anything to help? As I see it, we’re facing an alarming trifecta of troubling problems as Pandemic Winter II draws near:
• Even with widespread vaccination, we haven’t achieved herd immunity. Covid is still around, the Delta variant is scary, and a lot of people are still staying away from dining rooms.
• Restaurant workers – like many other workers across the economy – are fleeing their jobs in a wave so noteworthy that it’s been dubbed “The Great Resignation.” Just about every eatery in town is understaffed and fighting for applicants, and that may be reflected in service, further diminishing the shrinking restaurant economy.
• The ongoing supply chain problem makes it difficult for executive chefs, and all the rest of us too, to find food and supplies and to budget for rising costs.
So what’s going on in the restaurant scene? Many local restaurants are preparing alternatives to indoor dining. The Irish Rover has put its high-power heaters back on its patio. Porcini has enclosed its patio, fashioning a protected outdoor space. And quite a few eateries are reconstructing pickup areas to provide more room for takeout orders and delivery drivers.
Some are also changing hours to meet new needs.
“We are actually about to switch to a breakfast and lunch menu to counteract the low traffic of dinner diners due to cold weather,” said Devon Rosenblatt, executive chef and general manager at The Fuelery Restaurant and Cafe in Clifton. “We’re also bringing in alcohol to widen our reach. We’d like diners to be able to enjoy a glass of wine or mimosa with breakfast or lunch, and recognize we lose some diners not having those offerings.” They’ve also partnered with two local companies to facilitate delivery.
On the server side, many of those who haven’t quit simmer in a stew of frustration or rage or maybe a little of both. ...
Read the complete article on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/bleak-winter
You'll also find this commentary in LEO Weekly online later this week.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/