Ghost town dining: Empty seats hit Downtown hard

When the COVID-19 pandemic started forcing shutdowns in early march the restaurant industry, like many businesses across the Tri-State, found themselves fighting to stay open.

Its like sitting on a planethats taxiing on a runway thathas no end."DOWNTOWN GHOST TOWN.RESTAURANTS HOPING FOR ANINCREASE IN CUSTOMERS --HAVEN'T SEE IT YET.RESTAURANTEURS IN CINCINNATI'SBUSIEST DISTRICT SAY--COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS WEREDEVASTATING.AND THERE IS FEARFOR WHAT A LACK OF ATTRACTIONTO THE AREA WILL KEEP DOING TOBUSINESS.WCPO 9 NEWS REPORTERWHITNEY MILLER EXPLAINS.LUNCH TIME IN DOWNTOWNCINCINNATI IS GETTING BUSIERTHESE DAYS BUT NOT NEARLY ASLIVELY AS LOCAL RESTAURANTEURSSAY IT WAS BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS SLOWED EVERYTHING TO ASCREECHING HALT.NOW THEY AREFIGHTING TO STAY OPEN IN WHATTHEY CALL A GHOST-TOWN.

PKG:CASTILLO"When it comes to thelunch business and that isdown 80 percent." FROM 80VISITORS A DAY DURING AWEEKDAY LUNCH - DOWN TO 10 OR15 IF HE'S LUCKY - NELSONCASTILLO SAYS BUSINESS ATPRIME CINCINNATI IN DOWNTOWNIS NOTHING BUT USUAL THESEDAYS.

CASTILLO"dinner businessis down 60 percent." SINCECOVID 19 REARED ITS UGLY HEAD- AND STATE MANDATES CLOSEDSOME RESTAURANT DOORS -CASTILLO AND HIS TEAM HAVETRIED TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TOGET PEOPLE BACK INTO EMPTYDINING SEATS.

CASTILLO"Downtown is a really criticalsituation.

We invest money tofollow the guidelines.

We aretrying to do anything possibleto make sure people feelsafe." OVER AT MITAS ON RACESTREET - OWNER JOSE SALAZAR ISTRYING TO DO THE SAME THING.SALAZAR"We have disposablemenus, we have barriers, wehave sanitation every hour onthe hour."BUSINESS DURING THEWEEK HERE WENT DOWN 80PERCENT.

3 OTHER POPULAR SPOTS- NADA, BOCA AND SOTO CLOSEDDURING STATE MANDATES AND SOFAR ONLY ONE HAS FULLY COMEBACK ON - LINE FOR NOW.SALAZAR AND CASTILLO BOTH SAYSLOW BUSINESS IS BECAUSE THEDOWNTOWN AREA IS A GHOST-TOWN.SALAZAR"All the things thatwould normally attract a lotof people especially in thesummer, all the events atfountain square, sports, theconvention center, musicevents, thopera, all theshows at the differenttheatre's are just gone."GONEWITH NO SIGN OF OPENING BACKUP IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

ACKERMAN"Its like sitting on a planethats taxiing on a runway thathas no end." AT LEAST THAT'SWHAT VAN ACKERMAN WITH THECINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATIONBELIEVES.

ACKERMAN"Betweenmarch and now we have had morethan 300 events eitherpostpone or were cancelledbetween the Aronoff center andmusic hall.

That is a lot ofevents." A LOT OF EVENTS AND ALOT OF ART LOVERS THAT WOULDBE DINING AT DOWNTOWNRESTAURANTS.

ACKERMAN"When wehave broadway in town, thatcould fill up our big theatreat the Aronoff center whichseats about 2700 people.

Thoseshows are normally here fortwo weeks so if we had a soldout show in town you nowmultiply 2700 by 16."HE SAYSITS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPTHAT HE HOPES CAN GET BACK ONTRACK SOON.

ACKERMAN"We aredoing a lot planning for whenthat does happen so that weare ready to open up ia verysafe and healthy andresponsible manner."CASTILLOIS JUST WANTS TO FIGURE OUT AWAY TO KEEP THE DOORS AT PRIMEOPEN - AND HE THINKS LOCAL ANDSTATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HELP.CASTILLO"We really need tostart looking at ideas to movethe economy.

We need to makesure that broadway is back inCincinnati and we need to makesure that our fans are comingback following all the safetyguidelines."ALL WHILE HOPINGTHE VIRUS DOESN'T FORCEANOTHER SHUTDOWN.

SALAZAR"We've just had to roll withthe punches as they come and Iguess we will continue to dothat." WHITNEY TAG:WHILEBUSINESS HAS BEEN SLOW -MANAGEMENT AT THIS RESTAURANTFOR EXAMPLE NADA - USED THEDOWN TOWN TO REINVENT THEIRBRAND.

THEY PLAN TO RE-OPEN ONSEPTEMBER 4TH WITH A NEW MENU.