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V O L . X X V I N O. X I M AY 1 8 , 2 0 2 0 34 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S coronavirus testing that allowed her to tweak the state's phased-in reopening plan. e new plan would allow Natalie's to reopen as of May 18 and Camden Harbour Inn as of June 1. While evaluating whether it makes sense to open the restaurant first, Brunyanszki says that Natalie's will reopen with modifications that go beyond the state's recommendations. at includes having two sets of gloved wait staff—one for service, one for clearing—and setting plates down rather than tossing them. Hinting that video production may continue even after reopening, Brunyanszki says: "It's up to us … to cre- ate experiences that are unforgettable." 'Pinching pennies' and making pizza Back in Portland, David Turin in early May opened his first new venture in a while — a "no contact takeout business" — out of David's on Monument Square. "I am as nervous about doing this as if I were opening a brand new restaurant," he says hours before the online site launch. All three of his eateries, which also include David's Opus Ten and David's 388 in South Portland, are closed. "We're in the dining business, not in the feeding business," he adds. "It's really challenging for me to try and figure out what I can do that will be representative of my brand." On Day Two of takeout, he says the first night went well despite some online glitches. Now doing meatloaf Mondays, pizza Wednesdays and date-night Fridays with three-course dinners for two, he says he'll be glad to get 15 to 20 orders a night. "We don't expect to be overwhelmed," he says while peeling carrots purchased from Sur Lie. A latecomer to pandemic-era take- out, Turin says he's looking into funding options after getting approval for a $300,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan he doesn't plan to accept because of conditions he says that don't make sense. "We're probably like everybody else, we are pinching pennies," he says. Turin says David's Opus Ten won't reopen this year and worries about his other two restaurants, one of which— David's 388—was recently renovated. He doesn't see them reopening until August, and worries about the sector's long-term survival. "Our industry has had diminishing margins steadily over the years," he says. "As that's happened, restaurateurs have gotten much more crafty at figuring out how to squeeze a profit out of a dol- lar. We've done that by increasing our volume, making our dining rooms more 'cozy,' and figuring out technologies to get more people through the door." Nevertheless, Turin says there's cause for optimism, and is grateful for loyal customers who have been buying gift certificates for $100 and more he feels "terrible" about not being able to honor right now. In the meantime, he's commit- ted to make the takeout model work, saying: "It's either evolve or die. I'm in the mode to evolve." Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Do your employees take pride in what you do? Find out. F O R I N F O R M AT I O N A N D TO A P P LY G O TO B E S T P L AC E S TO W O R K M E. C O M A N E M P L O Y E E E N G A G E M E N T P R O G R A M D E A D L I N E: M AY 29 Premier Sponsor: Brought to you by: F I L E P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R David Turin David Turin owns three restaurants owns three restaurants in the greater Portland area, one of in the greater Portland area, one of which ( which (David's Opus Ten David's Opus Ten) he does ) he does not expect to reopen this year. not expect to reopen this year. It's either evolve or die. I'm in the mode to evolve. — David Turin David's Restaurant and David's 388

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