Mon Valley eateries adapt, hold on to hope as COVID-19 crisis smacks them hard
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
The Vincent sandwich has two hamburger patties, bacon, tomato, cheese, pickles and mushrooms at V&V Scratch Kitchen in Union Township.
Gideon Bradshaw
Diana Schneider stirs some soup in the kitchen of her Monongahela restaurant.
Diana Schneider stirs some soup in the kitchen of her Monongahela restaurant.
Gideon Bradshaw/Observer-Reporter
Pho Valley, located just outside of Monongahela, is Washington County’s only Vietnamese restaurant.
Gideon Bradshaw/Observer-Reporter
Gideon Bradshaw/Observer-Reporter
Lan Hoang, left, and her husband, Duong Pham, opened Pho Valley in June. The couple is pictured here with their six-year-old daughter, Caden.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Pho Valley’s spring rolls come in pairs with a tangy yet sweet peanut sauce, filled with shrimp, bacon, lettuce and rice.
Holly Tonini
The dining room at V & V Scratch Kitchen.
Holly Tonini
Martin Lamarche, right, and members of the staff that create and serve the food at V & V Scratch Kitchen in Finleyville.
Lobster is poached in butter and crammed into an artisan roll served with house chips & pickle at V & V Scratch Kitchen in the Finleyville.
Celeste Van Kirk
Kristin and Martin Lamarche are co-owners of V&V Scratch Kitchen in Union Township.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
The menu as posted at V&V Scratch Kitchen in Union Township
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
The Vivien sandwich is made up of smoked turkey, bacon, tomato, avocado, cucumber and microgreens served with house chips and a pickle at V&V Scratch Kitchen.
Celeste Van Kirk
A lobster roll poached in butter and crammed into an artisan roll is served with house chips and pickle at V&V Scratch Kitchen.
By Margi Shrum
Business owner Diana Schneider has learned several lessons in the past few months, not the least of which is likely to be “expect the unexpected.”
Just two months after opening the doors of her deli in downtown Monongahela this January, the COVID-19 epidemic struck, causing her to scramble, as restaurateurs and mom-and-pops nationwide have done, to find ways to survive.
For her, it is keeping her dream of owning Di’s Hometown Deli alive.
“That’s my luck,” she said, laughing as she talked about the epidemic’s impact. “That’s the kind I have, but I take it in as, this is kind of preparing us” to face adversity and pivot, which are standards of business practice even in the best of times.
Di’s Hometown Deli is among newly established eateries profiled in the past year or so in Mon Valley Magazine’s Nibbles feature. The magazine recently checked in with three establishments to see how they are faring during the epidemic.
As of the second week in May, Schneider was reporting some success in navigating the public health demands placed on her deli, even if that was not precisely the success she was hoping for when she opened her business.
With its seating area – room for about three dozen – closed and its hours cut, Di’s has been serving curbside or taking orders at the counter. Schneider estimates she has been getting about 30 customers a day. Those who come inside to order must stand behind a plastic shield and wear masks, as Schneider and her sole employee, daughter Shayla, 16, a Ringgold High School junior, are doing.
Family is part of the glue that is keeping Di’s together. Shayla cooks and delivers orders.
“I thank God for her. I think she does an awesome job,” Schneider said, offering praise, too, for the financial and other support her husband, Rick, has provided to her and her business. He is a laid-off union carpenter who was hoping to soon return to work. Schneider had purchased the building that houses Di’s, and the apartments above the deli have provided rent that assists her as well.
She effusively praised the community that has been coming to her door, not only for soups and sandwiches but also for the small number of grocery staples she has been carrying: cottage cheese, bread, milk, yogurt.
“We are so fortunate that they are supporting us,” Schneider said. “I believe most of them do it (patronize Di’s) to support us, they want us to stay.”
She said she hasn’t thought much about the future, but “I hope someday we build a nice business we can pass on to our kids. It can be the neighborhood get-together.”
Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Director Leanna Spada said getting the word out to consumers about who’s open and what services they have, including restaurants, has been a significant endeavor.
The chamber started an active Facebook page – featuring videos, photographs and encouraging posts to let the public in the Mid-Mon Valley know who’s open and what they offer.
The chamber compiled a list of facts about businesses operating during the crisis that it shared with its members and is providing information about federal, state and local loan programs and the small number of grants that may be available.
“A lot of businesses are afraid of being forgotten. They’re looking for support where they can find it,” said Spada, adding that she feels for restaurants because it’s likely that they will be dealing with change for a while.
Details of the state’s future economic functioning are scarce and vague, reflecting the coronavirus’ nature. But the three-phase, color-coded reopening guidance issued by the commonwealth indicates that restaurants will offer limited takeout or delivery until the final “green” phase that lifts “aggressive mitigation.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on May 14 reiterated the state’s ban on dine-in services until the green phase, saying food inspectors will enforce the rule while thanking restaurateurs for adherence to COVID-19 public safety measures. Social distancing – staying six feet or more from other people – has been recognized as a key to preventing the spread of COVID-19, which is highly contagious and spread through droplets spewed by coughing, sneezing and even maybe by talking.
“We know that people dining together in a restaurant puts many people at risk of exposure, including patrons and employees,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine is quoted in a news release. “It is essential that restaurants comply with guidance and continue with carry-out and delivery options at this time. Social distancing is a primary tool to fight this virus, and we must stay the course.”
The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association established a COVID-19 list of family-run farms, including several in or near the Mon Valley, serving the general public and restaurants.
The list includes contact information, product and ordering details. The list is an effort to close gaps in the food supply chain that have become all too evident during the COVID-19 crisis. Farms may add their information to the list.
Chatham also has a list of bakeries participating in the Artisan Grain Initiative’s Neighbor Loaves initiative. Bakeries make loaves that are sent to food pantries and feeding programs, using locally sourced ingredients.
Neighborhood Loaves participants include Mediterra Bakehouse, which Martin Lamarche, owner of V&V’s Scratch Kitchen in Union Township with his wife, Kristin, continues to patronize through the crisis.
Lamarche has seen proactivity as the only way forward for restaurants from the start: Planning, pivoting and meeting the communities’ needs.
“We couldn’t have survived if we hadn’t made some sacrifice,” Lamarche said. The two-year-old restaurant has reduced its hours and laid off about 20 people, mostly high schoolers.
Lamarche said the layoffs were “incredibly hard for us,” but 15 staff remain, working close to full time to provide family-style meals and specials from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
While he described his financial situation as “I think we’re surviving,” he also described a heartfelt mission not only to his business and his community.
“I look at it as an incredibly irresponsible thing for us to close our doors,” he said. “There isn’t anything more essential (than food), other than water.”
“It really wasn’t a choice. We tried to do the best with the situation we were handed.”
That means maintaining his commitment to locally sourced, fresh food – a practice he is glad to know that can help local purveyors as well – and community spirit.
Lamarche said that despite the endless drumbeat of bad news, he has seen an uplifting can-do spirit both in his staff and the community.
“We geared a team at V&V Scratch Kitchen for resilience and respect for the community and the work we do,” he said, adding, “our incredible team has really risen to the occasion.”
“The biggest thing has been to stay positive on this and to continue to stimulate our creative side, whether in planning the week or executing a dish,” Lamarche said.
One example is Kristin’s idea to offer a Mother’s Day brunch for pick up and reheating. People enjoyed it, posting on V&V’s social media that it took the pressure off them and helped normalize unusual times.
“It seems like there’s so much focus on the terribleness in this … but we have heroes we can touch, to the left and right of us.
“They’re people who are trying to show the best of humans,” Lamarche said.
His restaurant has been supporting hospitals and first responders as it can, partly demonstrating his philosophy that connectedness is vital for everyone to thrive.
“We are all connected, and I have never met a dark room that a light couldn’t illuminate,” Lamarche said.
“Those two things keep us going: our family and our business family.”
Duong Pham, owner of Pho Valley Vietnamese Cuisine in Carroll Township, similarly had praise for first responders.
Although he has also cut hours and shuttered his seating areas (60 inside and 20 outside in the summer), Pham and his wife, Mailan Hoang – two staffers were laid off – carry on.
“I tell my wife, ‘We have to do what we have to do to make it happen,’ “he said.
As other restaurateurs have found, the price of supplies has been climbing. Pham said the beef round he uses in many dishes has increased significantly in cost – a cost he cannot pass on to customers. Besides, he has to wait sometimes for supplies because purveyors cannot meet orders right away.
Pham said he is covering his bills, but his profits are gone for now.
Pho Valley opened a year ago in May, and “It had been going so well. Now, with this situation, (business) has slowed down so much. It’s really difficult, you know.”
Yet he sees some advantages with his business. One is a supportive customer base that includes staff at the nearby Monongahela Valley Hospital and public servants. “Local police departments and state troopers have been supporting me well. I really appreciate them.”
Pho Valley’s large parking lot and spacious interior have made social distancing and handling pick-ups easy. His practiced eye for sanitation and organization – he has worked in the food industry for nearly 30 years – has pleased his regulars. “They look around and say, ‘I cannot find any dirty spots!’ Pham said, laughing, adding that he remains stoic and optimistic.
“As long as you are honest and you have good food and a friendly attitude,” the beat will go on, he said.
Social media is a boost
“Social media has been our beacon,” said Martin Lamarche of V&V Scratch Kitchen. “It’s a logical way to communicate. If (people) follow us on social media, they like us and will support us.”
V&V, Di’s and Pho Valley all have active Facebook pages on which they have posted phone numbers, hours and days of operation, specials and other information. All are responsive to messages.