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Make cocktails-to-go permanent, and six other things Philly restaurants need to survive | Opinion

As the Philly dining scene begins to rebound after the pandemic, the city should learn from the last year and implement important changes.

On Valentine's Day, thousands of balloons decorate the outdoor dining areas on restaurants on 18th Street.
On Valentine's Day, thousands of balloons decorate the outdoor dining areas on restaurants on 18th Street.Read moreJackie Freiberg for Marquis & Co.
    by Ellen Yin and Nicole Marquis, For The Inquirer
    Published 

Most of us probably took the joys of living in or near the city for granted — until it all changed last March.

Both of us went into the restaurant industry to create the dining experiences that we so loved. We both felt proud to be part of the city’s dining scene, which, before the pandemic, was named among the best and most vibrant in the nation in GQ, Food & Wine, and Travel & Leisure.

Our dining scene was not just a vital part of the city’s character, and economy, but Philadelphia’s hospitality industry was also one of the largest employers in town. That all came to a screeching halt. Within days of the shutdown March 16, our restaurants lost 90% of their revenue and we both, like most other restaurateurs, had to furlough the majority of our teams. The heartbreak of letting go of people who may have no safety net is a feeling we never want to experience again.

» READ MORE: Should I eat in a restaurant once I'm vaccinated? Experts are split

After the initial shock and sadness, we shifted into survival mode. We revamped our websites, took on more delivery partners, mastered takeout, dragged tables and chairs out to the sidewalk — among many other modifications. We didn’t thrive, but we survived.

Now, there is excitement as our teams are returning and being vaccinated and the weather is warming. The Philly restaurant community is looking forward to welcoming more diners and helping get our regional economy back on track.

On March 23, city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced there will be no changes in our restrictions until at least April 30. Meanwhile, the remainder of the state has much looser restrictions. Philadelphia restaurants like ours need even more help from policymakers to ensure that the coming years are profitable so we can begin to recover from more than a year of losses.

Here’s what we need now:

  1. Businesses need to make bringing back workers a priority with the appropriate safety protocols. Having offices occupied and streets bustling with workers who will shop and dine needs to happen within weeks or at most months.

  2. City leaders need to allow us to increase indoor dining capacity. We have learned how to keep our customers and staff safe through enhanced ventilation, vaccination of our staff, increased physical distancing, and protective gear for our staff and diners. Having most of our tables empty for more than a year is unsustainable and unnecessary.

» READ MORE: As vaccines roll out, what comes next for Philly’s food scene?

  1. The city should keep streeteries and enhanced outdoor dining as long-term features. Outdoor dining will continue to be essential to the financial viability of restaurants. With minimal capacity for indoor dining, and with reduced hours, it has been a lifesaver. Reducing restrictions and fast-tracking permitting on sidewalk cafes, streeteries, and outdoor dining chalets are a must. What’s more, the city should allow more neighborhoods to close some streets to traffic entirely during specific times, as has happened on 13th Street in Midtown Village, 18th Street in Rittenhouse, South Street in South Philly, and Second Street in Old City. These pedestrian- and restaurant-friendly policies not only create an appealing destination but help businesses immensely.

  2. Cocktails-to-go have become popular since the state allowed them temporarily last year, and should be allowed indefinitely. State leaders should further loosen restrictions to allow us to sell alcoholic beverages via third-party delivery.

  3. Elected leaders and business leaders should invest in outdoor attractions and allow outdoor entertainment. Through public-private partnerships the city should prioritize and reduce impediments to investments in outdoor spaces, such as gardens, large-scale art installations, and live music, especially where they feature local artists and diverse voices. These activations create online buzz and draw suburbanites and tourists to the city.

  4. Landlords should be true partners to business tenants like us by taking a longer-term view of what cooperation and success mean, including flexibility on rent and other payment terms, and not charging us for inhabiting formerly unused outdoor spaces such as alleyways and parking spaces. This ultimately is good for all of us, as it will help keep more storefronts from being empty.

Out of the challenges of the last year, we have learned what is possible. By getting creative and continuing to reduce hurdles for businesses to serve customers in new ways, we’ll get closer to reclaiming the life we longed for but haven’t yet lost.

Nicole Marquis is founder and CEO of nine restaurants including HipCityVeg, Bar Bombón, and Charlie was a sinner, and is founder of Save Philly Restaurants. Ellen Yin is the cofounder and owner of High Street Hospitality Group, which operates a.kitchen + bar, Fork, High Street Philly, and High Street Provisions. Both are members of Philadelphia’s Restaurant Advisory Committee.