"Supplier issues aren’t just limited to food and paper goods, but to services like contracting, which restaurants rely on to open in a timely fashion. Ginger Deli operated a downtown Ann Arbor walk-up window serving Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches and pho until building issues led to the restaurant not renewing its lease in late-2018. Since then, Ginger Deli had been selling food at the the University of Michigan hospitals and the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market while owner Te Phan looked for a suitable space. He found a downtown spot at the beginning of 2020 and was planning on opening in mid-April when the outbreak began. 'Renovations were impossible since contractors couldn’t do any work because of the virus,' Phan says. 'City planning and permit offices were closed so, even if there were contractors available, we couldn’t get the necessary permits.' To make ends meet, Ginger Deli is now selling meal-kits for delivery." - John Reyes
