Local eateries finding their paths to success during COVID-19
Two and a half months. For two and a half months, restaurants closed down in 2020. Terrapin, a restaurant located in Rhinebeck, N.Y. and Max’s Melts, a food truck that roams the Poughkeepsie, N.Y. area, were two businesses that dealt with the highs and lows of the pandemic, but through all the difficulties, they still found ways to persevere.
Terrapin, a described new American restaurant with a focus on farm to table, decided to use the pandemic as a way to assess, change, and continue their business. Todd Dutt, the general manager, expressed their strategic use of time, using the COVID-19 pause to repaint walls, update the floors, and reopen in June. Business resumed, and Terrapin took it day by day, slowly getting back into the restaurant world amidst a pandemic.
Terrapin implemented typical COVID rules: Six feet between tables, low capacity, and added outdoor seating. “Outside business was integral to our success because some people would just not sit inside,” Dutt said. Terrapin did not have an outdoor space before COVID and worked closely with the town, creating an area that would bring people in. Business was busy, “As busy as it can be for 25% capacity,” he said.
Dutt explained most restaurants experienced setbacks, such as chicken wing shortages or delivery issues. However, Terrapin’s farm-to-table focus saved them. “Farms are still farming. Because we don’t use mass producers we were able to get the plants and cattle we needed,” Dutt explained. Menus stayed consistent, chicken wing prices did not go up, and they continued business as usual… or as usual as it can be during a pandemic.
Max Ecker, the owner of Max’s Melts food truck, was also able to find success throughout the pandemic by reinventing his business plan and turning his dream into a reality. At first, Ecker was going to open a ramen shop in Beacon, N.Y. with a friend. When rent suddenly increased, the duo walked away from their plans. This decision saved them as COVID struck the United States a week later.
Ecker had two choices: Give up or find a way to be successful during a pandemic. Choosing the second option, he opened Max’s Melts, a food truck with an emphasis on gourmet grilled cheeses. “It wasn’t on my radar. We had to think outside the box and get what we wanted to do out there, and the food truck was the best option,” he explained. With people avoiding indoor seating, the food truck immediately took off while most businesses continued to struggle.
Ecker admitted, “I would have never done a food truck if it wasn’t for COVID.” But he realized that was his key to success. He traveled to breweries, wineries, college campuses, weddings, and private events, continuing to see steady business all while people enjoyed great food.
Terrapin and Max’s Melts strategically used its unique aspects to persevere in the restaurant business. As Dutt expressed, there is a “Pathway to coexist with the pandemic,” and both eateries focused on finding their paths to success.
