MINNEAPOLIS — After weeks of planning special menus and staffing for packed restaurants, Broders Pasta Bar, Broders Cucina Italiana and Terzo saw all their restaurant week preparations wrecked by winter.
"We saw some of the slowest business volumes we've seen in many, many years," said Charlie Broder, owner of the family restaurants that have been a south Minneapolis stable for decades. "We were down 90 percent (on Wednesday) here at the Pasta Bar. We were down 78 percent at Terzo. You know, those are really dramatic numbers."
Because of the tough week, Broder was thrilled to learn that Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine had agreed to extend its winter restaurant week promotion, which typically brings in a lot of new business at an otherwise slow time of year.
"Knowing that this was going to impact them in a way that was not their fault, and it's not the diners fault either, it's nobody's fault," said Stephanie March, Executive Editor of Digital/Food for mspmag.com. "That's why we thought, let's just give it another push, you know, we're Minnesotans we can handle it. Let's push it another week and just keep going as far as we can."
March says 58 Twin Cities restaurants are currently offering special two- and three-course menus for Restaurant Week, ranging in cost from $15-$45.
Though many have had to close or reduce hours during the snowstorm this week, she says nearly all are planning to extend those menus through the next week.
"I think they really wanted to be able to kind of push it out and see if we can't, you know, get people out of their Minnesota rut," March said. "Especially after this depressing amount of snow, if you're not up for it."
Broder says the added flexibility comes at a critical time for both businesses and their employees.
"With this weather, we have safety concerns for employees and we also have employees who depend on us for hours," he said. "Every scenario is different, every restaurant and operator, is different and I think each person has to make their call in the best way that they can and just know that there is no right decision."
Kent Erdahl: "Is it as easy as just saying, we're going an extra week? Because I would imagine you have food in there that you need to turn around too."
Broder: "You know, in the restaurant industry you have to be dynamic. So it's a much better situation than a total loss. The hard part, also, is that people - not just restaurants - have planned for this as well, so how it will be successful in the extension is yet to be seen. But we feel comfortable and excited to continue it."
If the local residents who trudged through a foot of snow for food on Thursday are any indication, there will be plenty of people who will be happy to take them up on the extra days of deals.
"We were grateful that they were able to get in and serve locals," said Jenny Volden, who lives just down the alley from Broders. "Hopefully the people who are able to at least walk and get there are able to get some food and support their local business."
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