Few industries have been as decimated by the effects of the pandemic as the restaurant industry. As the world stumbles toward a new normal, the Northern Express — sister publication of The Ticker — wondered what the last year has been like on the front lines as restaurants suddenly had to change their business model, many looking to takeout and curbside delivery to survive.

Servers from across the region sat down and talked about their experiences during the pandemic: the good, the bad, and the different. There were commonalities; all noted how much business was down overall and how much curbside and to-go business jumped and continues to, even as restaurants can open to 50 percent capacity. They stressed the unexpected generosity of so many of those who did order, some noting a few extra-big tips impacting the team as a whole (many are sharing tips among the staff). They noted the confusion about the changing regulations. And, of course, the occasional (though fewer than you’d think) stories of those who wanted to flout the rules.

"The hospitality business is always about being fast and friendly. During COVID, it didn’t really work that way,” says Katie Boyer of Clam Lake Beer Company in Cadillac. "No one has done a pandemic before. Seventy-five percent (of customers) were understanding. During the first shutdown, they’d leave a $100 tip here and there. The others didn’t understand — and don’t accept it.” Libby Childers of Centre Street Cafe in Traverse City says the restaurant lost half its staff and half at its business as it struggled to navigate new regulations and a climate of fear around eating out the last year. Daniel Broder of Stormcloud in Frankfort, meanwhile, has seen both the light and dark side of the hospitality business during the pandemic.

"I’ve had my share of both good and bad. Some really great people trying to make up for the struggle we were going through would be extra nice [to our staff]. My favorite people. Others would walk in, then put a mask on. Then rip it off when they’re still five feet from the table. It’s different dynamics of people. Some are understanding of the situation and do what they can. Others’ sense of normal is uninhibited by any precautions," he says.

Read more about the experiences of restaurant workers during the pandemic as they candidly tell-all in this week's Northern Express, available to read for free online or on newsstands at nearly 700 locations in 14 counties across northern Michigan.