Amid case spikes, closures, Columbus restaurants respond to Omicron’s impact

Like so many other Columbus establishments, Wolf’s Ridge, the popular restaurant and taproom has soldiered through the last year and a half fighting off a variety of hurdles.

Now facing the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has caused significant case spikes and temporary business closures throughout Franklin County, the brewery’s owner Bob Szuter said Wolf’s Ridge is up against a new challenge: uncertainty.

“One of the difficulties about where we are right now is that there’s just a lot we don’t know,” he said. “We’re trying to control what we can, but we’re also waiting to hear what the science says, waiting for more information.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Szuter also believes the Omicron variant may be more difficult on Wolf’s Ridge due to its timing, at the end of the city’s outdoor dining program, which came to a close on Nov. 30.

“That’s a huge hit to us, [the outdoor dining program] required less staff and was popular. We actually managed twice the amount of sales we had the year before by having it open,” he said.

Other eateries, like Yellow Brick Pizza, are seeing overall dine-in numbers dip down down as well.

“Prior to the emergence of Delta we were seeing an uptick in dine-in guests but that has stagnated or declined depending on the day of the week/events in the area,” said owner Faith Pierce.

Like Szuter, Pierce believes during the early stages of another variant taking hold, businesses will simply have to hold on and prepare as best they can, since there are so many unknowns currently in place.

If you like this: A historic Columbus pizzeria may be closing for good; here’s how you can help

BROUGHT TO YOU BY