Tongue in Cheek has made it through the pandemic so far, but not without changes, many of which will likely be permanent. The St. Paul restaurant is open fewer days for fewer hours with fewer seats. Its workers are paid more and are now offered health insurance. Its takeout business has become key to its finances.
Like Tongue in Cheek, the restaurant industry in the Twin Cities and across the nation has evolved by necessity. And the changes are likely to continue.
Not only are customer patterns pivoting again with the rise of the delta variant, but the labor shortage and increased food prices also beleaguer an industry that has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. More than half of food-service operators in an August Hospitality Minnesota survey said they could still face financial collapse or insolvency in the next six months to a year.
"I think it's easy for all of us to walk into a busy restaurant and think, 'Oh everything is fine. Everything is good,' " said Liz Rammer, chief executive of Hospitality Minnesota. "That belies the underpinning challenges … all of these other issues they are facing that the customer doesn't see."
Already what has emerged is a changed industry, one that has integrated takeout and delivery into its fabric instead of it being an afterthought, that is more savvy about using technology and has a labor force that is better paid.
Tongue in Cheek was able to dig into several changes that have kept its business afloat. The staff created date kits, including cocktail mixers, when indoor dining was shut down. Already with snug booths and dark ceiling tiles, the restaurant became even more intimate as it removed a quarter of the seats to deal with capacity restrictions and social distancing guidelines.
"I don't think we are ever going to add those back because people have gotten used to enjoying their space a little bit and it's just nicer too when it's not so crammed in," co-owner Leonard Anderson said.
The restaurant reduced its hours and the days it is open because of necessity — but that too has proved a good move. It has given more free time to both the owners and staff, and the restaurant hasn't lost sales, Anderson said.