Hello opened one year ago at 2557 Amber St. We have been lucky enough to stay open 10 out of these 12 past months, with a brief intermission due to COVID-19. We’re open three days a week, down from seven. That feels good even though there’s no timeline on returning to “normal.” Every day it becomes more clear how lucky we are to be open at all.
Restaurants I love will never open again. Local businesses we’ve supported and care for will never open again. Fantastic, hardworking employees and team members at these establishments are struggling, as are the business owners who took a risk that they believed in. A risk that was hopefully going to work, despite the challenges.
I am so thankful for our hard working team members who have shown up each week since late-May, when we reopened our doors, to be a small bit of joy for our community. Thank you Tiago, Jess, Maddy, Kristin, and Talisa. And thank you to Grace who changed, for now, the direction of her life to make this dream become and stay a reality. I am happy to be doing this with all of you, and with Joe, Ben, ReAnimator, and Frich.
We have joked amongst friends that I picked the two worst industries to be in during this pandemic. But it is on my mind everyday that we have fared better than most through this, at both Hello and A-Side.
Wear a mask. Takeout more often if you can. Ask yourself if eating out is worth dying and killing for. Tip extremely well.
Thank you to everyone who has purchased a donut from Hello or shared any love and support with us over the past one to three years. I hope we can do this for a lot longer.