Struggling restaurants looking at another long month of COVID-19 restrictions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Normally on a beautiful day in May, the lines at Mike Linnig’s Restaurant would be out the door and the popular picnic dining area would be full.

Instead, the staff are currently wearing gloves and masks, working three times as hard for two-thirds of their usual business.

Owner Bill Linnig is just one of many restaurant owners wanting to know why Governor Andy Beshear did not give them approval to open their doors when he announced the state’s plans to re-open the economy.

“Yeah, we thought it was going to start here in May and now they’re talking June,” Linnig said. “So we’ll see. We’ll go along with the program but we need to get opened back up.”

Linnig says his sales are off more than 30 percent, making his restaurant one of the lucky ones. A robust takeout and curbside pick-up is keeping money coming in.

The Kentucky Restaurant (KRA) reports a loss of sales in April exceeding $500 million. Some restaurants unable to offer takeout are already closed for good. In a Facebook post, the KRA called on people in the restaurant business to “get noisy” and complain to their elected officials.

“In the back of my head and in my gut, I thought that it would be late May or June 1 for an opening for restaurants, just to get started,” KRA President Stacy Roof said. “So yeah, I felt punched in the gut, you know, and I’ve been sick for our restaurants.”

Linnig’s restaurant has a nearly century long history that has brought devastating floods and fire. The restaurant can now add a pandemic to its list of setbacks as he prepares to lose more business on his busiest weekend of the year: Mothers Day.

“This isn’t going to get us,” Linnig said. “We’re pretty tough, will make it through this. It’s going to be hard but we’re going to make it.”