The current COVID restrictions have forced many businesses to change the way they operate.
Restaurants were ordered to close their doors for in-dining services on December 8 and operate strictly with takeout, delivery, or drive-thru which all too often reduces revenue to the point that staying open isn’t a feasible option, forcing them to close their doors until the restrictions lift.
Owners of Anthony’s Classic Grill in Vermilion, Anthony and Tally MacPhee wasn’t about to let the in-dining restrictions take them out and came up with two genius events to help boost their sales during the new COVID health measure order.
Their first event titled ‘’Fair Days was held on Dec 10, 11, and 12 where they aimed to bring back the nostalgia of the Fair which is held every year at the Vermilion Ag Grounds and create some extra foot traffic to the restaurant. During the three-day event the MacPhees’ had on offer dry ribs, wings, deep-fried pickles, zucchini sticks, mozza sticks, and jalapeno poppers; items they would serve from their shack each year at the fair. During the first two days of the event, they sold out and had to cancel the Saturday due to an overwhelming response.
“So having a bright idea and having fair days was supposed to be a bit of fun and generate a bit of extra foot traffic here and there for takeaway, little did I know that people would have to wait sometimes over an hour for their food, due to the overwhelming response, and we had to cancel the Saturday because we ran out of food,” explained MacPhee.
The second event held by Anthony’s Classic Grill was Ponderosa Days which the duo held on December 15, 16, and 17. The couple offered the Bonanza Burger items along with French fries and onion rings which were originally on the menu of the Ponderosa restaurant that was once located in Vermilion years ago and a favourite for many.
“We sold out each day of the event and while there were some hiccups along the way like our phone died one day, it still turned out to be a great event, it was chaotic but in a great way. Tally and I would like to thank everyone for the very overwhelming response,” said MacPhee.
He also went on to say that while the two events were to help increase foot traffic for the restaurant their main goal was to also help lift people’s morale and spirits during a time of gloom and doom surrounding COVID,
“We wanted to help people forget about COVID for a while and add some joy and fun in the town and help them remember a long lost memory,” added MacPhee.