Danny Nguyen’s 10 years of experience as a chef could not prepare him for 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic hit the restaurant industry hard, but for Nguyen it provided a double whammy. The 32-year-old is the head chef at Carboni’s Ristorante — a restaurant within Hotel Winters.
Hotels have also seen a steep decline in business due to the pandemic.
Hotel Winters — which opened in September 2019 — closed down completely in mid-March after Yolo County issued its first round of shelter-in-place orders to combat COVID-19, according to Amanda Drontle, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing.
With some changes to follow health guidelines, the hotel was able to reopen in June, but occupancy remained low. A bittersweet uptick in numbers occurred last month when evacuees of the LNU Lightning Complex fire stayed at the downtown hotel, waiting to hear whether their homes survived the blaze.
“The hotel industry, we were all hoping for this bounce back,” Drontle said previously. “But not like this.”
Meanwhile, Carboni’s went through its own set of challenges.
Nguyen noted that they launched the eatery in January and then again in June with some significant changes.
For example, the original Italian-forward menu included table-side service of certain items. The menu had to change, the kitchen staff had to be reduced and the cleaning regiment increased.
Much of Nguyen’s current staff were involved with Carboni’s from the very beginning and they have been enduring this “rollercoaster together,” he noted.
Despite having a decade of restaurant experience, this is the first time Nguyen has been involved with launching one. It would be easy for him to give into fear, but Nguyen has chosen to remain positive during these uncertain times.
“You have to adapt,” he said. “Those who are afraid and don’t want to do it aren’t able to adapt to struggle. I try to find ways to keep fires alive (in my staff).”
Cassandra Runyan, restaurant manager, agreed that although some changes have been difficult to adjust to, those in the industry must accept the challenge.
“The industry will take a while to adapt, but not in a negative way,” she explained. Crises like the coronavirus “bring light to how essential these workers are to the livelihood of the profession.”
Moments like this “force people to be innovative and there will be a lot of positive change to explore that will be fun to see,” she added.
As for Carboni’s, the restaurant utilized the hotel’s outdoor seating options — both on the ground floor and on the roof — to serve its seasonal menu. Room service to the hotel’s 78 rooms is also available. The restaurant is also open to the public during its limited hours of operation.
The current menu includes a variety of salads, pizzas and pasta opinion, including Nguyen’s signature dish: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.
For more information or to book a room or make a reservation, visit hotelwinters.com.
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September 06, 2020 at 09:01AM
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When two struggling industries collide: Restaurant at Hotel Winters adjusts to coronavirus - Woodland Daily Democrat
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