Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • beats
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    • California Dream
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Roots
    • Eclectic
    • Videos
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight
    • California State of Mind
    • The View From Here
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • Insight Music
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • CapRadio Travels
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support / Underwriting
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Volunteering
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Business
  •  

Business Journal: Some Sacramento-Area Restaurants Are Surviving The Pandemic

  •  Mike Hagerty 
Friday, January 22, 2021 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Andrew Nixon /CapRadio

Patrons sit outside on the first day Sacramento restaurants can reopen after the county amended its stay-at-home order to allow dine-in with modifications.

Andrew Nixon /CapRadio

It’s been almost a year since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, and in that time many restaurants in Sacramento have found themselves cycling between opening and closing, being able to host outdoor dining and then being forced to offer take-out only, all in an attempt to stem the virus.

Now that the 13-county Greater Sacramento region has reverted back from the state stay-at-home order to the purple tier, the highest level in the state’s color-based tiered reopening system, some businesses are coming out strong, while others have found themselves struggling.

CapRadio’s Mike Hagerty spoke with Sacramento Business Journal Digital Editor Sonya Sorich, who has been following several Sacramento-area restaurants, to learn more about how they’re faring.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Interview Highlights

On how some local restaurants are doing

Business is still not back to usual for these [local] restaurants. They’re still dealing with a variety of restrictions and several obstacles likely to interfere with getting things back to normal in the future. 

However, there are some encouraging signs. In my conversations with the local restaurant operators that I interviewed, a lot of them said that they are surprised by the extent to which customers have supported small, locally owned restaurants during these past several months. 

In fact, when I was calling around to these businesses to confirm that they were all still open, there was one situation in which I kept getting a busy signal. I feared that that restaurant had closed permanently when in reality, I found out that they had just been so slammed with to-go orders that they were unable to take my call. So that’s encouraging. And there are broader factors, such as the return of outdoor dining and the news of a second round of paycheck protection program loans.

On businesses that received coronavirus-related relief money

Many of [the local restaurants] have received money, but they all note … that this process is generally far from easy, or at least it has been in the past. It can be particularly challenging for restaurants that have multiple locations, including some that have opened more recently than others. 

Not all of the businesses in my project have received federal relief money. The main example is a cafe called Reset in Historic Folsom … they had the unfortunate experience of opening in March, just days before the pandemic escalated. 

So, in addition to a variety of other obstacles, this means that because it was open for such a short amount of time, that business was not eligible for the major federal relief programs, which poses another outlet of frustration for its operator.

On the outlook for these businesses’ recoveries

To start on the bright side of things, there are some encouraging signs here. Some of the businesses that were part of my project are still eyeing expansions. One of those businesses is the locally owned Garden of Eat’n restaurant chain, which has locations in Auburn and Roseville. 

Its operator told me that he’s still looking for additional sites, possibly sites with drive-thru. The chain just most recently [said] that they were considering a new location in West Roseville. 

Also, the Pushkin’s restaurant group … not only opened a new concept during the pandemic, but one of its operators told me that he is still considering additional expansion for the Pushkin’s brand. So that’s good news there. But of course, we don’t want to gloss over the severity of the current circumstances for many of these small restaurants. 

Molly Hawks, who has restaurants in Granite Bay and East Sacramento, told me that it will take at least a year to restore the financial health of her business. That’s largely due to losing the bump in business that usually comes with the holiday dining season.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    More about business journal

  • Business Journal on CapRadio

 business journal

Mike Hagerty

Interim News Anchor

Mike is a native Californian, born in Los Angeles. He's had a 30-year career in radio and television news and is a recipient of both the Bill Stout Memorial Award for Excellence in Spot News Radio and the Murrow Award for Breaking News Coverage.  Read Full Bio 

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Gavin Newsom Gets Flack From Republican Governor Candidate Kevin Faulconer Over School Reopenings

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Newsom Says Deal Is Being Negotiated To Reopen Schools Shortly

Newsom Signs Economic Relief Package, Sending $600 Stimulus Payments To Low-Income Californians

When Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? How Will I Find Out? Answers To Your California Vaccine Questions.

Tim O'Brien On Late-In-Life Fatherhood And The Things He Carried From Vietnam

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Gavin Newsom Gets Flack From Republican Governor Candidate Kevin Faulconer Over School Reopenings

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Newsom Says Deal Is Being Negotiated To Reopen Schools Shortly

Newsom Signs Economic Relief Package, Sending $600 Stimulus Payments To Low-Income Californians

When Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? How Will I Find Out? Answers To Your California Vaccine Questions.

Tim O'Brien On Late-In-Life Fatherhood And The Things He Carried From Vietnam

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2021, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.