Christine Bunker Deye is the head of brand for A&R Creative Group. They own several local restaurants in the community like Ethyl and Tank, Midway on High, The Crest Gastropub, Alchemy Kitchen and Cafe, Fourth Street Taproom and Kitchen, Trism, Market Italian Village, and Hoof Hearted Brewery and Kitchen.
She said they have around 300 employees throughout the restaurant and bars. However, after Governor Mike DeWine announced that dining in was no longer an option, they released many of their front of house staff and servers.
They decreased staff to around 30 employees for deliveries and take out. Alchemy Cafe on Parsons Avenue in Columbus is open as a grab and go.
Bunker Deye said they are figuring out plans for the other restaurants and bars as far as creating new menu options and services.
"We have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that our teams have given us, we're telling look we can't pay you and they're saying how can they help," Bunker Deye said.
A&R Creative Group has a company called Alchemy Meal Prep, which just launched two weeks ago. Alchemy Meal Prep is healthy, ready-to-go meals.
She said they are hoping to use that to find ways to connect employees to that service and allow them to get discounts.
Bunker Deye told us the Co-owner of Alchemy also created a GoFundMe account for employees.
"We're thinking we might also build some kind of gift certificate that you can buy on our website so call us up and order it, and you get a $50 dollar gift card and half of that we're going to give to our team," Bunker Deye said.
She said they are aware of unemployment guidelines, so they are keeping that in mind while making plans.
She said as leaders, as owners, they knew this was coming but it doesn't make the changes any easier.
"We were trying to get ahead of it hoping that that's putting us in a place to at least be able to make a little money to pay as many people as we can," Bunker Deye said.
She said they are counting on delivery and pick-up options to bring most of their income in.