Fort Bend County restaurants and local businesses are reeling from COVID-19 court-ordered shutdowns.
County- and state-mandated closures of businesses and dining rooms have forced layoffs and emptied commercial shopping locations. In Sugarland and Missouri City, restaurant operators experienced a sharp dropoff in sales right around St. Patrick’s Day.
Tom Abraham, co-owner of Texas Biergarten in Missouri City, said sales dropped 60% from March 13 to March 19. The German-style restaurant offers hearty bar food and a variety of on-tap local beers.
By March 23, customers were sheltering at home and avoiding bars and restaurants altogether.
Abraham told Community Impact Newspaper that Gov. Greg Abbott waited too long to declare a statewide emergency. Abraham said he quickly realized that he needed federal aid through the Small Business Association in order to stay afloat and pay his employees.
“Just in our locale, there is no way that half of the restaurants are going to survive without some sort of funding or leniency on either lease, rent or utility bills,” he told Community Impact. Abraham said restaurants are struggling to keep paying employees.
Texas Biergarten was temporarily shut down, then made a quick pivot to take-out meals and to-go beer sales.
On March 17, bars were ordered closed for 15 days. Restaurants are allowed to provide drive-thru and take-out orders and to-go beer can be sold during the shutdown.
Abraham told Community Impact that he stopped using online delivery apps, like Door Dash, and has his employees doing deliveries so they can keep working.
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