From South Africa we return to the new continent: the U.S.A., where Erick Castro suggests some advice to fight this pandemic.
First of all, tell us who you are and what’s your job.
My name is Erick Castro, the host of the Bartender at Large podcast, and partner of the bars: Polite Provisions, Raised by Wolves, and Boilermaker
Coming to the COVID-19 crisis, how did you react humanly, psychologically at the spread of the virus and the consequent lockdown?
Like many in our industry, I had a very hard time with the quarantine. It is unlike anything that we have dealt with in the past and as the owner of three bars, there was a feeling that your life’s work was being flushed down the toilet. Even though we are six months in now, I am scared that the worst of it is still ahead of us, as the weather gets colder and outdoor seating is no longer an option for many cities.
Could you describe how is the bar scene of your country changed after the COVID-19 crisis?
Erick Castro
We are at a point in time right now that is all about survival. Do what you can to make sure that you bar lives to fight another day and that is about as close as we can come to winning. I think a large part of surviving through this is keeping an open mind and understanding the fact that you will not be able to move forward like everything is back to normal. For instance, think about better highlighting items with high profitability and serving a more condensed and concise menu. I don’t even think that menus have to be smaller necessarily, but they definitely must minimize wasted product with a focus on items that are more versatile, as we are not going to know going back what our demand will be, and people might have tighter budgets coming off of two months of not working. So bars will want to do everything they can to make sure that they are running a tight ship. I think a lot of bars & restaurants will probably be best served by sticking to a greatest hits style of menu with plenty of high margin items that are proven pleasers for guests that don’t feature overly specific ingredients in them that cannot be repurposed if they don’t sell today.
In your opinion, how will it change in the future?
The truth is that none of us truly know what the future holds in store. However, I am sure that we can all agree that there will be a lot of tweaking and retooling to make sure that bars are doing everything they can to survive and thrive in the coming months. We need to understand that just because something worked in the past it does not mean that it will continue work in the period ahead so it is important that we are diligent about problem solving & staying sharp. For instance, you might find that although the social distancing rules have relaxed a bit, many people are still wary of crowds and won’t wish to come in during peak hours, even with restricted capacity in place. But perhaps these guests might feel better about coming in for a drink at 2pm instead, when the crowd is lighter & less claustrophobic. However, if you don’t open until 4pm you will be losing that guest to the bar up the street that is being more engaged & flexible to the customer’s needs. More than ever, now is the time to really get deep into the minutiae of your venue and figure out what is working and what is not.
Could you suggest five bars in your country?
It is extremely difficult to narrow down the excellence of American cocktails into just five cocktail bars. Partly because there are so many, but also because if you asked me tomorrow, I might give you a completely different list then today. However, if there are five barts that I cannot wait to get back into for a drink they would probably be the following:
• Attaboy, NYC: You simply cannot beat this bar for the a well-made classic in a dark and intimate space
• Smuggler’s Cove, SF: I would pop in for a a perfectly executed Mai Tai that would be worthy of Trader Vic himself
• Spare Room, Hollywood: This is the ideal place to do a little bit of bowling while still sipping a delicious cocktail
• Rose & Crown, Orlando: This bar is in Disney World, so you can’t top the location + I have a good buddy that bartends here
• Lost Lake, Chicago: This place is always a good time and they have an incredible crew that is always happy to serve you
