Small Businesses, Big Hearts: As the number of coronavirus cases tally daily, these chefs step up to the plate
On March 15, Gov. Charlie Baker announced the statewide closure of all bars and restaurants, allowing takeout and delivery only. For the lucky ones, it was a return to their early days, allowing them to resurrect an old business model; for others, it meant creating an entirely new one. The major caveat? They only had a couple of weeks to make it work.
“We were actually at a catering and special events conference in Las Vegas the week that news got really bad,” said Julie Ellis, who owns The Chef’s Table in Marshfield with her husband, Mark. “It was devastating to be walking the hallways and see caterers and other event professionals in tears and disbelief as one event after another was canceled.”
In New England specifically, most catering companies and restaurants were gearing up for a busy spring and summer season filled with social events, weddings and outdoor dining. “This year in particular we were scheduled to do several events for the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower in May,” said Julie Ellis.
“My business is based on people getting together. No getting together, no business,” said Barbara Sacks, who in 2006 opened Eating In, a Leominster-based catering and personal chef business. “It took a minute [but] I came to realize that the burden I was feeling was in fact my asset; we do have a licensed, insured commercial kitchen from which to work. The issue became how to best leverage that.”
Mark and Julie Ellis saw it as a return to their roots. “My husband and I actually started our business 19 years ago as a personal chef/meal delivery,” said Julie. “It was a natural pivot—although we certainly hope a temporary one—to shift back to doing prepared meals for people to enjoy in their homes.”
But for Anka Bric and Chris Furlong, who opened Twyrl Pasta Bistro in Arlington three years ago, the transition was slightly less smooth. “We had started to work on a home delivery business in December and were doing some beta testing, [but] we are a full-serve restaurant that specializes in handmade pasta. Obviously we no longer have dining in, which is the biggest source of our revenue.
“As soon as our dine-in was shut down, we ramped up our efforts in the home delivery model. We worked out a system so that we would be able to handle a larger volume,” Bric explained.
“We have realized that working families and individuals are increasingly busier and don't have time to shop for fresh food and prepare healthy meals at home,” she continued. “We wanted to provide an alternative that would obviate these problems, and so came up with Twyrl@home, home delivery of handmade pasta that just needs to be boiled for a few minutes, along with scratch-made sauces, toppings and appetizers. We call it the 10-minute fresh pasta meal.”
Realities for all small business owners included some tough decisions. With layoffs, owners saw themselves filling in as needed, instituting even stricter safety guidelines for preparation, pick-up and deliveries.
“While we have laid off most of our staff, we have only two to three who rotate, coming in to help and we are constantly verifying that they have been maintaining social distance when not at work,” Julie Ellis explained. “We have pick-ups set to be curbside only and do our deliveries ‘Ding, Dong, Ditch’ style—we drop the bag then call the person’s number to let them know it is on their porch.”
“No one else enters my kitchen,” said Sacks. “We set up a pop tent at the door and have tables enclosing that. People don’t even need to get out of their cars to be served.”
But it was also Sacks’ realization that not everyone could come to her, setting her off in a new direction. “I do need to cover my overhead. I can cook, everyone needs to eat,” she said. “Many in the community are working overtime in this crazy climate while others are now totally without. I’m testing the waters to see if I can help bridge this gap—and pay the rent.”
A happy customer doing curbside pick-up at Eating In, Leominster.
Sacks’ first venture into bridging the gap was “The Great Chili Experiment” where she sold 75% of what she’d made and donated the remaining quarter to a soup kitchen at the Spanish American Center in Leominster.
She also offers a “pay as you are able” option. “So far, customers with the means to pay have been so generous, covering for those who cannot,” Sacks said. For the paying customer she said, “I’m keeping it simple and affordable,” with a quart of vegetarian chili, toppings, cornbread and cookies going for $12; beef, sausage and rice-stuffed peppers with a garden salad and some sort of sweet treat, serving two for $20; and her Jewish Penicillin (“I couldn’t resist”) at $8 per quart.
The Chef’s Table has been handling anywhere from 12 to 60 meal orders a day ($20 for an entrée for two). “A lot of people have been ordering for their elderly relatives as a way to support them and make sure that they do not have to go to the grocery store,” said Julie Ellis. “Next we will be adding ‘Food for the Frontlines’ where people can order and gift a meal to their favorite health care worker or first responder to show their appreciation for their service,” she added.
Neighbors in Need is yet another program that Mark and Julie Ellis have instituted. “We have a button on our online order form where people can add $15 to their order and we will turn that into a meal for a family in need,” said Julie “Last week we gave out over 70 meals in 90 minutes and today we will be doing another 50 with a special invite to anyone in the hospitality industry who is now out of work.”
Twyrl Pasta Bistro prepares dinners a la carte, so the customer can choose exactly what they would like, and the meals start at $8 per serving. “We are running a campaign to help out senior citizens that can't leave their homes because of COVID-19,” said Bric. “For every order we receive, we deliver two free meals to a senior citizen in the community. Customers can request where they would like the senior meal delivered, but we are also working with the senior centers in a number of towns to get recipients for the meals. So far, we have delivered over 100 free meals to seniors,” she added.
For more information, contact:
Barbara Sacks
Eating In and Roamin’ Pizza
roaminpizza.net
12 Lindell Avenue, Leominster
barbara@eatin.biz
Anka Bric and Chris Furlong
Twyrl Pasta Bistro’s Senior Citizen Initiative
315 Broadway, Arlington
twyrlhome.com
Mark and Julie Ellis
The Chef’s Table’s “Ding Dong Ditch Delivery Service”
1853 Ocean Street, Marshfield
tctcatering.com
Info@tctcatering.com
781.826.3320
