Chef Tim Nicholson - The Boiler Room
MARCH 17, 2020 © Right Here, Right Now.
“Yeah, I mean we were handing out the last paychecks, cheered with some of the wine that was opened that was going to go bad, you know handing out the food that’s going to spoil.
It’s been fuck’n hard. Sad. It’s tough man…it’s tough.
The hard part is the lack of answers…how long is…you know? Like no one has that answer.
Leaving the restaurant last night everyone was like “ I’ve never just…gone home after work” like there’s always a drink after, everyone fuck’n goes to Toads…Toads is closed. That’s the watering hole for all the industry, non industry… that’s where you go. It’s been faster than expected. We knew this week was going to bring something but to have it happen Monday, even last night, we were like “Do we close”? We did one last hurrah, but I feel sorry for the folks that didn’t know that was their last Hurrah, we at least went into last night knowing that this was gonna be it for…X.”
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR RIGHT NOW?
”The community we have, the communication that’s been back and forth between Terrence, the employees. The fact that there is communication within this industry on what’s happening and what others are doing I guess is what I’m grateful for…it’s been hard being a small business to make those big decisions. I’m grateful for employees that are going to be coming back cause you know this is ultimately temporary and I’m grateful to be at a place where I’m at where we do have the means to hopefully last this and open again where there are places that might not. Thats the terrible reality and I fear the mostly for North downtown…the college world series, it sucks that we are going to miss Berkshire Hathaway and I hope we are back up and running before then so we can generate revenue from those that are in town, but it’s huge for you know…everyone is filing unemployment right now.
In this industry it’s tough because it’s a communal space, and then we’re told not to…so you can’t operate. And then, you know a place like this, it’s very fine dining. Everyone’s, you know, asking if we’re going to do take out. Well we’re not even remotely set up to do that. Our food isn’t gonna translate well. It’s not going to bring in enough revenue and then to think of who’s going to run it, how many employees is that gonna…you know. The reality behind it isn’t there I guess… but the encouraging thing is we are all in this together. It’s not one set place. Everything has to shut down, we have to distance…we don’t know what is ahead and there’s no answers given so it’s hard to communicate that to employees, myself, anyone really. But at the same time everyone in this industry has such a strong work ethic that once we do get back into it… you know there’s going to be that fire that builds. Omaha has a very strong crowd of people who love to eat food and love to experience new food so what I encourage is I guess to people who love food - when this does end…go out and eat. Take the time to go to that restaurant that you’ve been dying to go to or whatever restaurant is your favorite. The chef you’ve been following on instagram like go and eat all the time. Take your whole family because they are going to need it and we’re going to need it when this is all over and, you know, I’m doing the same.
Last night was kind of like our last hurrah, and we saw a lot of industry folks in here. Everyone was in here and they were buying wine, you know, do the ball out night. Go above your budget on wine, treat your servers. Like that’s what this industry is going to need to be back where it was and flourish the way it has been cause Omaha has been on the up and up, as far as cool restaurants, food trends, you know two James Beard nods this year. I mean it’s only gonna get better and better.
Everyone is going to not want to eat in their own house haha."
