Doing Your Part DGO: Dave Woodruff

HI, I’M LAURIE SIGILLITO, OWNER OFFAST SIGNS AND THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. AND I’M HERE AS DOING PART OFOUR DOING YOUR PART IN COLORADO SERIES. AND I HAVE DAVID WOODRUFF,WHO’S WITH ME HERE. HE’S THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR EL MORO AND ALSO THEPRESIDENT OF THE DURANGO CHAPTER OF THE STATE OF COLORADO RESTAURANTASSOCIATION. SO THANK YOU DAVE FOR BEING HERE. CAN YOU SHARE WITH MEA LITTLE BIT THAT, YEAH, CAN SHARE WITH ME A LITTLE BIT THAT’S GOINGON WITH THE RESTAURANTS IN DURANGO AND WHAT YOU SEE HAPPENING.

WELL, IT’S KIND OF STATEWIDE AND ITHINK WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF REALLY BIG IMPACT ON, ON RESTAURANTS ANDHOW THEIR CAPACITY TO OPERATE AS WE KNOW, RESTAURANTS WEREN’TDESIGNED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING IN MIND, BOTH ON THE DINING SIDE OR ONTHE WORK SIDE OF IT. SO, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTS AREDESIGNED AROUND INTIMACY AND HOSPITALITY NOT WITH BEING 6 FEET APARTFROM PEOPLE. SO I THINK YOU’RE SEEING A LOT OF LOCAL IMPACT AS WELLAS STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL IMPACT. ALSO, AND YEAH, WE’RE JUST TRYINGTO NAVIGATE THIS NEW WORLD AS BEST WE CAN. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’RE, WEWERE ONE OF THE FIRST SECTORS TO CLOSE DOWN, AND WE’LL BE ONE OF THELAST ONES TO REOPEN AGAIN. SO NOW IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER IFYOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE MEANS TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENTRESTAURANTS BUY TAKEOUT OR DELIVERY OR WHATEVER, IT’S MORE IMPORTANTNOW. THIRD, WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF DECLINING REVENUES, BECAUSE WE’RE,WE’RE ABLE TO OPERATE AT A MUCH REDUCED CAPACITY. WE CAN’T EVEN HAVEDINING BUSINESS YET. SO IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, YOU KNOW, TO,TO FEED THE LOCAL FAMILIES THAT ARE FEEDING YOU BY, BY PATRONIZINGTHE ESTABLISHMENT. SO, YEAH, WE’RE JUST, WHATEVER THE NEW NORMAL IS,WE’RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE IT AS BEST AS WE CAN.

SO ARE THERESTAURANTS ALL WORKING TOGETHER KIND OF ALL FOLLOWING THE SAME TRENDOR IS EVERYBODY OUT THERE KIND OF ON THEIR OWN? HOW’S THAT ALLWORKING?

I CAN ANSWER THAT IN TWO WAYS. YES AND NO. I, IWOULD SAY THAT YES, I’M, THEY’RE KIND OF ON THEIR OWN. AND SO I’VE,THE WAY I POSITIONED MYSELF AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE RESTAURANTASSOCIATION HERE IN DURANGO IS TO, YOU KNOW, I CAN’T NOURISH MYCOMMUNITY WITH FOOD RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN NOURISH MY COMMUNITY WITHINFORMATION. SO I’VE REALLY TRIED HARD TO GET OUT INFORMATION TO ALLTHE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTEURS. SO THEN THAT WAY THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKETHE, YOU KNOW, GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT’S ACCURATE AND UP TODATE, AND THEN MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEIR BUSINESS, THEIREMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILY. SO, SO IN THAT REGARD, THEY’RE ABLE TOTAKE THAT INFORMATION AND DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THEM INDIVIDUALLY. BUTALSO I’VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, AND THENALSO WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND THE CHAMBEROF COMMERCE TO SHUT DOWN MAIN TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO FIGURE OUTCREATIVE WAYS AROUND CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS AND WHEN WE CAN REOPEN FORDINING BUSINESS.

SO,  AND THAT, IN THAT REGARD, THEY’RE,THEY’RE NOT ALONE. THEY’VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A FIERCE ADVOCATE. ON THE,THE STATE, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY SIDE TO DO WHAT’S BEST, BUT ALSODO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY. I, I, I WANT TO REALLY REAFFIRMTHAT WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND KEEPING THE COMMUNITYSAFE. SO WE’RE GOING TO REOPEN AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT AS RESPONSIBLYAS WE CAN. I THINK THAT’S ONE OF THE KEY CRITICAL POINTS IS THAT, YOUKNOW, WE WERE ALL HARD TO ADD IT TO PUSH FORWARD AND, AND TO REOPENAGAIN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE GOTTA DO IT. WE GOT ONE SHOT AT THIS,WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT RIGHT. SO, TRYING TO FIND THATBALANCE HAS BEEN TRICKY TO SAY THE LEAST AT TIMES. AND, YOU KNOW,WE’RE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN ANDAS SAFE AS WE CAN.

THAT MAKES SENSE. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.SO YOU, OUR VIEWERS, ARE REALLY, ALL THE CUSTOMERS ARE THE DURANGORESTAURANTS DOWNTOWN. MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE WITH US WHAT THE BEST WAYIS FOR THEM TO REACH THEIR CUSTOMERS, THOSE RESTAURANTS. AND HELPOUT. AND, AND ANY OTHER WORDS OF WISDOM YOU MIGHT HAVE?

SURE.YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT ONE OF THE BIG PIVOTS THAT YOU’VE SEEN WITHA LOT OF RESTAURANTS IS MORE OF AN INCREASED ONLINE PRESENCE. SOWHERE YOU CAN DO ONLINE ORDERING OR, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A, THERE’S ACIRCULATING LIST OF, OF RESTAURANTS THAT ARE HOPEFULLY UP TO DATE OFWHO’S OPEN AND, AND IN WHAT CAPACITY THEY’RE OPEN, IF THEY’RE DOINGDELIVERY, ARE THEY DOING DRIVE THROUGH, ARE THEY DOING CURBSIDEDELIVERY, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO, RIGHT NOW IT’S, YOU KNOW, WE’RETRYING OUR BEST TO DO WHAT WE CAN. AND YOU KNOW, THE ONLY WORDS OFWISDOM I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE’S, THERE’S SO MANY TIMES WHERE, YOUKNOW, PEOPLE WOULD ALWAYS COME TO RESTAURANTS, THEY’RE LIKE, OKAY,WILL YOU GIVE A GIFT CARD FOR THIS? WILL YOU, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT US INOUR ACTIONS? AND WE LOVE DOING THAT.

AND THAT’S PART OF, IT’SPART OF HOSPITALITY, RIGHT? IT’S, IT’S PART OF LIKE WHO WE ARE AS ABUSINESS. WELL NOW IT’S TIME TO KIND OF REPAY THAT BACK. RIGHT? YOUKNOW, HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR RESTAURANTS TO MAKE SURETHAT WHEN THEY CAN REOPEN FOR DINING BUSINESS, THAT THEY’RE ABLE TO,TO MEET, MEET THE DEMAND AND HAVE THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL TO, TO, YOUKNOW, HIRE TO TRAIN, TO ORDER TO PREP ALL THOSE THINGS, TO BE ABLETO, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, STAY AT HOME ON ONE FOOT OR STAND ON BOTH FEETAS BEST AS THEY CAN. SO YEAH, THAT’S MY, MY ADVICE IS TO SUPPORT YOURLOCAL INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVE.I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I’M SURE YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET STARTEDWITH SOME ONLINE ORDERING PROBABLY. SO YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS FORWATCHING LOCAL NEWS NETWORK AND WE’LL SEE WHOM WE COME UP WITH NEXTTO INTERVIEW.

‍