How Classic Texas Restaurant Jack Allen’s Kitchen Adapted to COVID-19 | Eater Austin

"As co-owner and chef of Jack Allen’s Kitchen, I’ve seen business in 2021 remain about the same as the fall of 2020, and the new 50 percent capacity mandate hasn’t helped or hurt us because our maximum occupancy is already 50 percent with the six-foot distancing rule. It’s odd walking through the dining room these days — I got into the restaurant business for the community and hospitality, and not being able to welcome people with a smile has changed that; I try to express through my eyes that we can get through this and I don’t take the trust guests place in us for granted. Our current service model is a juggling act: limited dine-in, plus curbside, call-in, and online ordering (which spikes during tighter lockdowns); dinner service is shorter, and we add lunch on a location-by-location basis as demand and staffing allow. Staff wellness and guest safety are our top priorities, so we’ve leaned on established COVID protocols, over-communicate with staff, back their judgment when guests resist masking, and spend heavily on gloves, sanitizer, and professional disinfection even when it’s costly. We also realized we weren’t prepared technologically, so we’re hiring an IT person to properly implement online ordering, EZ Pay, QR codes, and improve the guest experience. Sales have taken a huge hit, but we’ve learned a lot about operations and gained more respect for the farmers and vendors we depend on; reopening is far harder than closing because of the fractured food chain, so trust and loyalty to staff and guests remain paramount." - Erin Russell