A moment of silence for restaurants closed by the pandemic

[Robin Garr]

A moment of silence for restaurants closed by the pandemic

China Inn near U of L closed after 30 years.


It's been almost two months since Gov. Andy Beshear ordered Kentucky restaurants closed to sit-down dining in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, and even with the partial reopening of restaurants at 33 percent indoor capacity (moving up to 50 percent on June 22), the restaurant scene looks very different than it did before the pandemic.

The region's restaurants are struggling against this gut punch, and they deserve all the help we can give them through carryout, curbside, and home delivery – not to mention generous tipping – but we have to face the reality that Louisville's great restaurant scene is going to look very different when this is over.

While many local restaurants have reopened within the state's social-distancing and capacity restraints, many are waiting cautiously or continuing to offer only takeout but no sit-down dining. Others remain closed indefinitely, hoping to reopen in the future when or if the pandemic has passed.

Let's take a moment of silence, too, to remember the local restaurants that are permanently closed. Here's a list of fourteen that I know of. If you know of others, please let me know so we can add them to the list.

China Inn
Eddie Merlot's
Eiderdown (changing to catering)
Hearth on Mellwood (replaced by second Chik'n & Mi)
Johnny Brusco's Pizza (replaced by second Old School NY Pizza)
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Lilly's
Lola's Kitchen
Migo (replaced by second Hammerheads)
Milkwood (becoming McAtee's Kitchen)
North End Cafe
Ostra
Scarlet's Bakery
Verbena

Wipe your eyes now, and toss up a high-five to the handful of bold entrepreneurs who have chosen to open new restaurants in the middle of the storm. Again, these are the ones I know for sure. Let me know if other new arrivals should be included.

Barcelona Bistro Bar
Faces Bar/Bistro
I Love Tacos Louisville
Jake and Elwood's
Legacy Pizza and Bakery
Maya's American Kitchen
POLLO - A Gourmet Chicken Joint
Vallarta Mexican on Linn Station Road

Read the article on LouisvilleHotBytes.com:
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/resta ... d-pandemic

A little addition on Eddie Merlot's. I just got a gift card for there 3 weeks ago. Below is the response to how they are handling the situation.

"Our future in Louisville has not been determined as stated in the news recently. We love Louisville and we are working hard to stay in the community. We are not offering refunds on gift cards but hope that you will be able to use your gift card at either our current location or at a new location in Louisville. You may also use your gift card at any Eddie Merlot’s location across the country, including our locations in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. You may also use your gift card on our online store, featuring wine glasses, steak knives, and soon we will be offering our prime aged beef shipped directly to your door. We thank you for being a guest and we hope to see you soon."​

Can we at least put an asterisk on North End Cafe, since their closure had as much (if not more) to do with their own mistreatment of their employees and its legal fallout as it did with the pandemic?

[Robin Garr]

Jeff I hear you, but from the consumer standpoint, it was a popular place and many will miss it. It's sort of like the way that a funeral eulogy doesn't highlight the dearly departed's flaws ... de mortuis ni nisi bonum. No harm in you pointing it out in this thread, thouth.