Restaurateurs were nervous about surviving a lockdown. Sure, they could open for takeout, but would anyone come? The Central Oregon community demonstrated extraordinary support and generosity to keep the local eateries running. Now that restaurants are reopening, several owners have expressed their profound gratitude for their patrons and beyond.

The stories are reminiscent of the TV show, “Cheers” and the words from its theme song: sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name.

Ted Swigert, owner of Washington Dining and Cocktails in Northwest Crossing and Drake in downtown Bend, discussed how the pandemic brought out the restaurant industry’s importance. “I think people underestimated the impact of restaurants to the community. Whether it is a big city or a small city, when all of a sudden, their social place was taken away, I think it was shocking to a lot of people. It’s a gathering place, for a lot of people. Yes, it’s about food and drinks, but really, for everybody, it’s about a place to meet, it’s the social hub. Washington is the epitome of the place to meet in this nice little neighborhood.”

Kathy Garling, co-owner of Jackalope echoes the sentiment. Her clients feel at home when they come to eat or drink. The restaurant’s employees care for and know their guests.

“Some people have churches; some have clubs; others have restaurants,” she said. Garling likened it to the movie “As Good as it Gets,” in which Jack Nicholson’s character must sit at a particular table and have the same server each day. Customers get to know and form bonds with the people who work at the restaurant.

For Zydeco’s limited capacity reopening night, the servers invited those customers with whom they had longtime relationships.

Katy Taylor Clabough, owner of breakfast/lunch restaurant Nancy P’s, talked about the people who have been buying takeout over the last couple of months. “I feel so valued. The people really care that we are here. Like they care for my family and my employees. And they care for the community.”

At Cafe Sintra, owner Manuel Dos Santos said, “I have people that come in on a daily basis, others that come two or three times a week. They express their love and their desire to make sure we survive. And it’s not just that they want us to survive; it’s that they want us to be there to provide what we do for them, as well.”

Dos Santos discussed that his patron’s generosity was not limited to how often they would order from the cafe. More, they also had large orders of food and extravagant tips that they would leave for his staff. “We had customers tipping 50% to 100% of their bill, sometimes even more. It was insane. They were doing it not only so the restaurant would survive but also the staff.” All tips were split among the staff.

He recounted a story about a customer who arranged a picnic. Everybody came to their house to pick up food and had a huge neighborhood luncheon. Twenty different people in the neighborhood who all ordered lunch from Sintra through this customer, “I delivered it, and they did all their social distancing. They were all sitting outside in their own yards.”

Along with tipping and big orders, Dos Santos talked about a customer who bought $2,000 worth of gift cards (bought in $50 increments for his clients) and another who bought $1,500 worth of gift cards. “A client who doesn’t even live here anymore bought a $250 gift card and told him to just hold onto it until I can come back and visit you guys. It really truly helped to keep us alive and make sense out of the takeout business model.”

Sintra was not alone in receiving large cash gifts from loyal patrons. Another downtown restaurant spoke of a gift of thousands of dollars. The customer wanted nothing more than to know it would help them make it through these hard times.

‘Went to the team’

Swigert talked about his experience at Washington, “People were just dropping off checks not even buying food— just driving by and dropping off checks. But it didn’t go to the restaurant. It went to the team. And it had an impact on our restaurant’s long-term success: The team was making money. Everybody that was there participated in sharing gifts and gratuity. It made it a great place for the team to be able to work at, to be part of, and make really great money. There were a couple of $500 and a $1,000 check that were just dropped off. That’s a lot of money for not even getting the spaghetti and meatballs.”

Customers at Nancy’s P’s were similarly generous. One customer came in with a $500 check and told Clabough to “put it toward payroll.” Another bought $300 in gift certificates that Clabough passed on to the nonprofit Saving Grace, who gave out the certificates in food bags. Those in need could bring in the gift cards for breakfast and a coffee or lunch. In the early days of the shutdown, a customer donated money to buy food for the ER at St. Charles. Over the past months, others would bring in donations and ask for the money to be put towards the next time they fed the emergency workers.

When nearby Newport Market received a donation to buy lunch for their employees, rather than use their own food to make the meals, they paid it forward. They came to Nancy P’s to make the lunches for them.

Clabough’s voice cracked as she said, “They (the customers) just love our place, they can’t imagine Bend without it. It’s the people …it’s their interactions with us and our employees. Because it’s beyond what we sell.”

Perhaps there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 shutdown in that we are reminded of our amazing Central Oregon community. Indeed, it is why so many of us moved here. For every restaurant who weathers this storm, there will be loyal customers to thank, and a closer bond between businesses and the community.