For Restaurants Owners Post-Pandemic, Change Is the Only Constant | Eater

"Opened in July 2019 in Boise, Idaho, the cocktail lounge adopted the motto "live tiny, die never," and survived lockdowns by pivoting relentlessly: making to-order to-go cocktails (Idaho law forbids premade or batched cocktails), catering outdoor events, leading Zoom cocktail classes, and slowly letting people back in a table at a time. During lockdown the business ran with just the two co-owners plus one bartender who doubled as a chef; they now have a staff of about seven, roughly half the size of what they opened with. Co-owner Kylie North says they cross-train staff so anyone can jump into any role—"we don’t hire specialists," says North—both to cope with illness (she is still dealing with long COVID) and to maintain flexibility. North also notes the ongoing challenge of reduced foot traffic and child-care dynamics: "Unless the circumstances of child care change, I don’t see that changing. It really does affect communities with third spaces and cocktail bars, because those people just aren’t walking around." - Jaya Saxena