LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- This second wave of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions is clobbering restaurants across Kentucky.
Many owners are getting creative to try and scrape by, but others are forced to close. Last week, Uptown Café in the Highlands announced it would close its doors for good the last weekend in November. Then Monday, another Highlands staple, Shenanigans Irish Grille, announced it would be closing indefinitely because of the added COVID-19 restrictions.
Other restaurants and bars are holding on by any means necessary, by tweaking menus or adding Thanksgiving specials. For example, Bourbons Bistro on Frankfort Avenue is keeping the patio open, continuing curbside pickup and trying something new.
“We’re kind of the never-quitting type," said Jason Brauner, a co-owner of Bourbons Bistro. "We’re here for the long haul. We’ve been here 15 years, and hopefully, we’ll be here another 15."
When he heard the news last week that restaurants would need to shut down indoor dining again, Brauner was worried for his employees and their families.
“When we heard about it, we were all devastated," he said. "The staff was devastated. We were basically, ‘Here we go again.'"
So his team is doing everything possible “to keep cash flow going.” The restaurant is offering a Thanksgiving Hot Brown casserole to go. Customers had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to put in their orders and will be able to pick the dishes up before noon on Thanksgiving.
On top of that, the restaurant is selling bottles of homemade eggnog, specialty bourbons and a collaboration drink package with Against the Grain Brewery.
