RED BANK, N.J. (NCC NEWS) – The Red Bank Diner suffered after a rise in COVID-19 cases limited it to take-out only back in March. The business struggled to make ends meet.
Mary Simeone is a long-time employee of the diner. Over the course of the last four months, she went through financial and emotional hardships. During her time at the diner, she built long-lasting relationships with loyal customers. The emergence of the COVID-19 stripped these connections from her and she felt devastated, she said. Her son helped pay her mortgage to avoid losing her home in foreclosure. This is the grim reality for some restaurant employees impacted by the pandemic.
Simeone believed that her boss barely kept the diner afloat.
“The diner took a huge hit,” Simeone said. “He made a little fraction of what they used to make. He made enough to just pay the workers and keep the lights on.”
On June 15, an executive order, signed by governor Phil Murphy, went into effect. The order allowed New Jersey restaurants to have outdoor dining. Restaurants had to abide by the social distancing guidelines in order for them to be allowed to have the option.
The order gave the diner some flexibility from the limited take-out menu.
Simeone was thrilled once the order went into effect in mid-June.
“I was very excited for outside because it would bring more money in and I figured I could make a little extra money too,” Simeone said.
After each customer leaves, the servers throw out their paper menus, according to Simeone. Every table and chair is sanitized after each person enters and leaves. She said the diner continues to carry out the guidelines enforced by the governor everyday.
