Local restaurants adjust to seasonal change during COVID-19 after enduring financial hits and switching from dine-in to pick-up earlier this year.
Covid-19 hasn't taken it's hold off local restaurants in downtown fort wayne... but that hasn't stopped them from making customers happy even in the face of a pandemic.
Fox 55's mallory beard spoke with restaurant owners to see how business is going after many have changed from dine-in to pick up... especially with colder weather on the way.
3 it's not over yet, but we're almost there.
That's the motto many fort wayne restaurant owners are hanging onto when it comes to keeping their businesses alive during covid-19.
Demetrius bostic//lewis street grill owner "just with the masks and meat going up, everything going up...gloves."
Lewis street grill owner demetrius bostic initially planned to expand his restaurant to inside dining.
But three weeks ago the city started an initiative providing select restaurants with free delivery from waiter on the way.
Employee cameron watson says it's working.
Cameron watson//lewis street grill "if i can put a smile on somebody's face with their food, they hey, that's what i can do...that'" crissy moloney of the fort wayne downtown improvement district says th delivery option has had brought traffic to downtown restaurants that were struggling.chrissy moloney we've spoken to some of the owners who've said that free delivery option has really helped carry some of the weight of their business which is obviously really important right now since they can't be at full capacity.
Mariah posey of burger bar says the initiative has helped sustain them financially.
But they've still had to make some adjustments to their staff.
"at the beginning when we opened we probably had like six people in the front of the house and eight people in the back of the house.
Right now we probably have like two in the front and two in the back with someone floating in between both of them."
The city and district partnership has provided more than 20 outdoor heaters for restaurantsconey island hot dog's aaron bentley says the cold causes even more of a financial impact when coupled with the virus.
Aaron bentley//coney island hot dog "as soon as school started, it got even a little bit slower, so we were relying on the lunch crowds and the evening crowds."
Posey encourages other restaurants to focus on customer retention"just making sure that you're keeping that consistent, great customer service, giving them fresh food every single time.
I know that times are hard and that it's hard to get new guests in here but make sure that you do take care of the people that you already have."
And remember, we're almost there... in fort wayne, i'm mallory beard fox 55 news.
For a list of downtown restauraunts you can continue to support throughout covid-19, see this story on
The coronavirus pandemic has caused another annual tradition in Fort Wayne to shift the way it will proceed this year.
