Local Lafayette Restaurant Owner Works Around the Clock With No Pay to Keep Restaurant Going and Emp

Local Lafayette Restaurant Owner Works Around the Clock With No Pay to Keep Restaurant Going and Employees Paid

Expires may 15th.

Restaurants have taken a hard hit since the onset of covid-19... forcing some to let employees go and others to close their doors entirely.

News 1's cassie schirm speaks with one local business owner who is giving all he can to keep the business running.

On any given wednesday this area back behind me here at smitt's wing restaurant is usually completely filled with people but with a pandemic going on right now the owner says the're just struggling to keep afloat.natsan empty bar and table and chairs is not the normal scene for this local resturant."we have 150 seating and on wednesdays we have to wait to get a table because i's wing special day."craig smith the owner says since they can only do takeout the're sales are way down."right now i might do 30 or 40 orders verses 300."with not enough orders and not enough help smith is doing whatever he can to keep the restaurant open."'m using some of the savings i had saved up.

Mutual funds 'm selling.

I applied for the ppe i applied for the disaster loan 've applied for everything .

've got no funds."a devastating blow to a restaurant that he started back in 2014."i's my business i's my baby i wanna make sure it crawls."tha's why you wo't find him sitting still because h's working around the clock."i work seven days a week 20 hours a day.."not taking a paycheck himself to take care of the business and those who work for him."i got six children all employees.""you know i promise 'm a paycheck when they work for me whatever i gotta do i got to get them a paycheck."the only thing that is keeping them alive right now is his community."if it was't for the locals i would be closed."but he says soon that wo't be enough.

A scary thought that is a real threat for his business and others.

"'m praying for the 15th to let people go back into restaurants and eat..

"just trying to make it day by day right now."cassiecraig says the're trying to hold on for as long as i can but the sooner that customers can come inside the better for mom and pop shops who are hanging by a thread.

In lafayette 'm cassie schirm news 15