LODI, Calif. — Shae Porter, the co-owner of Porter’s Pub had maintained hope through a year of obstacles. But this time around, through another shutdown, Porter said the business she had worked so hard to keep afloat might not make it.
"We spent quite a bit of money to enclose our patios with pop-up tents or whatever and get heaters out there to make it as warm as possible," Porter said. "We’ve really been rolling with the punches, and I have not been afraid; I’ve been rolling with it all. I’m very afraid for my staff. I’m afraid for restaurants in general. Yeah, I’m scared."
With sales down 80%, she said it had been a trying week, but the hardest part was knowing that she had no control.
"We’ve been open seven years almost, and you put everything you have into making it a success and to know something like this," Porter said in tears. "And the government’s bickering over their own agendas, and they’re not getting financial help out there."
Last week, 11 lawmakers sent a letter to the governor, asking to reclassify restaurants as essential. With these state senators’ efforts to roll back restrictions for restaurants, Porter said if she could just get back to outdoor dining, she’d likely be able to get back on track.
"I would not have to close my business," she said. "That would be huge. I hope Governor Newsom hears this and realizes how desperate people truly are."
Porter said she understood the seriousness of the pandemic and would not want to risk anyone’s health. But she’d like to give her customers the option to dine in- something that could potentially save Porter’s Pub and its employees.
"I am very passionate about this because this is my life," she said. "I’ve sunk so much into this business, not only financially but time, time away from my family."
With bills piling up, Porter said lately she has to pick and choose which vendors to pay. She said servers at Porter's rely on tips and were sometimes making $25 per shift.
"If I lose this business, it's not for any fault of mine," she said. "It's not because my service was bad. It's not because my food was bad; it's because the government forced us to shut down and didn’t have the aid there to back us up and help us."
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