The premise is this: no pristine white tablecloths. No impeccably mannered waitstaff. In fact, no indoor or outdoor dining options whatsoever, pandemic or not.
Thatâs the business model behind ghost kitchens, delivery-only pop-up restaurants becoming increasingly popular in the United States. And in Napa Valley, a region famous worldwide for its sit-down, full-service restaurants, a handful of business owners are hedging their bets and foregoing the brick and mortar model.
Among that group are Ben and Ali Koenig, who alongside their general manager and business partner Charles Whittaker opened up Haven Wings, a ghost kitchen, this fall. The husband and wife pair and Whittaker are also behind Heritage Eats, a local restaurant with â yes â physical premises.
In March, Rodger Collinson was suddenly faced with the prospect of working more than he had ever in his 17-year career with the Napa Fire Department. Demand for emergency services amid a budding pandemic could very well skyrocket, Collinson knew â but the same could not be said of Californiaâs restaurants, which were being asked to shutter their doors to the public and revert to take out service only.
As he wondered if there was some way to reconcile heightened need for essential workers with the unprecedented closures facing Napa Valleyâs restaurant industry, Collinsonâs mind turned to Facebook. Originally, the firefighter-paramedic said, the idea was to create a group to encourage his colleagues â firefighters, nurses, EMTs and the like â to ârely on local foodâ to fuel them during their day-long shifts. Collinson figured he would organize the page, which he originally named âSave Napa Restaurants!â and then begin his outreach to p