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“My restaurants, in particular, and I think most restaurants in the area are in the same position,” said Kevin Wakefield, owner of Grind Gastropub & Kona Tiki Bar, 31 Supper Club and Ormond Garage Brewing on Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach. “We’re experiencing record numbers in terms of sales and we’re handling it with a fraction of the staff we ordinarily have. We’re down to 60% to 70% of what our staffing ordinarily would be.”
Wakefield expects to be especially busy on Mother’s Day.
His prediction is echoed by national data from industry research firm OpenTable that shows restaurant reservations for Mother’s Day are up 64% compared to 2019.
Love is in the air this weekend for restaurateurs in Volusia and Flagler counties, who anticipate that the big Valentine s Day holiday and an influx of NASCAR fans will offer a welcome boost in business.
“We expect to have a really busy weekend, to see a lot of people getting out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said Adam Barringer, owner of the beachside SoNapa Grille in New Smyrna Beach, one of many restaurants offering a special menu for Valentine’s Day weekend. “We’ve got the races going on, so there’s a lot of people in town.”
Although Valentine’s Day is traditionally one of the year’s big holidays for dining out, research presented by the National Restaurant Association indicates that more than half of U.S. consumers (56%) have altered their planning for celebrations this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
ORMOND BEACH Starting next week, fans of the Bonefish Grill restaurant in Ormond Beach will need to travel a bit farther to indulge that craving.
The beachside restaurant at 814 S. Atlantic Ave., in the Harvard Square shopping plaza, will be closing its doors for the final time Sunday, according to its parent company, Tampa-based Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.
The Bonefish Grill location that opened in 2019 at the Volusia Mall will remain open, said Elizabeth Watts, Bloomin’ Brands spokeswoman.
“The Ormond Beach restaurant will be closing due to our lease expiring,” Watts said. “Many of our employees will have the opportunity to transfer. Those who do not will receive severance.”