Eddie Tancredi Explains Why Distill Table Closed

Eddie Tancredi wants to thank Lakewood. He knows it was the diners that made his restaurant Distill Table a special place.

“We had such a great local, community presence that everybody who came in there knew five or six people or more every time they came in,” says the chef of the Lakewood restaurant named our Best New Restaurant in 2019. “That’s what people looked forward to. Unfortunately, that’s no longer what we can offer.”

Last week, just after Gov. Mike DeWine announced new reopening dates and regulations for bars and restaurants, Tancredi announced on the restaurant’s social media pages that the acclaimed craft cocktail and small plates spot would close. The regulations include creating a new floor plan that keeps parties six feet apart, diners waiting in cars for their tables and more. 

“I agree with the regulations, but it just didn’t make sense financially,” he says. “It was my dream to have that place and that concept, and I've had to basically give it all up.”

We talked to Tancredi about the new regulations, why he was forced to close and the future of dining.

Q: Why close so close to the patio reopening on May 15 and dining room reopening on the 21? 
A. A couple weeks is not what makes or breaks these types of decisions. I looked at it more in the long run, the rest of the year. No one knows, but I’d guess the social distancing parameters are going to last through the summer, if not into the fall and winter. This thing could also come back in the fall. The risk was greater than the reward. I still need to look at the future of other things I want to do. If I go bankrupt, I won’t be able to do those things, because of loan purposes. There’s gonna be a lot of small businesses that are going to be staying in business because they don't really have a choice. I wish them all best of luck, because they have their house on the line or they have their personal assets on the line. Even if they close, they're still liable toward those bills. There's so many ways to look at it. Everyone's got their own personal things going on right now, due to the COVID-19. You have to look at each individual situation of what's going to be the best for that person and what they have to do. 

Q: Why does social distancing not work at a restaurant like Distill Table?
A: We are a communal-style dining restaurant. Everything about our concept was about sharing and gathering. That’s what we thrive on. Not that we can’t change our concept, but some states are requiring half your occupancy levels, and that would actually be more to our benefit than six-feet social distancing with a smaller place. That lets me serve 20 customers at a time inside. I can’t survive off that on a Friday night when our concept was having 100 people in there at a time and turning it over three or four times a weekend. People didn’t mind waiting for tables at our bar or lounge. Now they have to sit in their car. That’s a loss of revenue. If someone sees somebody they know at a different table, they can’t approach them. I mean, how do you mandate that? So you’re putting yourself in a situation where you’re no longer giving an experience. 

Q: Why not serve those 20 people and also offer takeout? Would that be enough?
A: If you look at the research done by the National Restaurant Association, restaurants that were already quick-service or carryout restaurants are doing well on takeout orders, but they're still down 20%-25% over this time last year. Restaurants like mine that are just sit down, that really didn't focus on takeout, are down between 70%-85%, if not more. It's basic math. People did support it, and I really appreciate that. But it cost me a lot of money. I was doing everything on my own. So I guess the short answer is no, it was not enough.

Q: You mentioned wanting to launch a new concept down the road that embraces the “new normal” and is based in a new wave or trend in dining. What do you think that looks like?
A: Well, I feel that some of these things are going to happen based on new regulations that aren't even fully put in print yet. Like Gov. DeWine said, there is still a risk of going out, but we can't be shut down forever, which I agree with. So, this is almost going to be like a testing period to see if these measures are successful or not. Some people are not going to be willing to be the guinea pigs, and some people are gonna say, ‘I'm ready to go out’. Having that choice is part of living where we live. But as far as the future, I think some of that's going to dictate it. It's going to be based on the supply and demand. I think people are still going to want good, chef-style meals. But dining is going to be different. That same experience is not going to be there for awhile. So I think it’s still having good food without the hassle of knowing how to go out. I think markets are going to do very well, just based on prepared meals and things of that nature. That was the kind of stuff I was already starting on with the Fresh Eats program, and it’s something I'd like to research or develop more to take it to the next level. But you don't need to have a dining room to do that. You can do that out of just a kitchen space with a pickup and a delivery system and a really strong online presence. I don't need all this square footage and empty seats and the restaurants to do that.