Owners of a Paducah-owned coffee shop are calculating best practices in the face of a global pandemic while keeping its doors open for patrons and employees.
Levi McDuffee, part owner of Etcetera Coffeehouse and barista, said he and his business partners are concerned for the health safety of their patrons and employees but also considering financial security for their employees.
“We’ve decided to pay normal scheduled hours even if we have to close; in most businesses, that would mean the employees wouldn’t be out anything. But our employees still will because they won’t get tips if we’re closed and the majority of money a barista makes is in tips from the customers,” he explained. “But most of our employees are young and in their 20s and they couldn’t pay rent without at least their hourly wage. It’s a tough spot to be in as a kid so we figured it was best to just take care of them since we have the means.”
McDuffee said it’s “scary” working so closely with the public while major, worldwide health organizations are recommending limited contact.
“I was watching people that were coming in yesterday that had coughs and that made me leery and want to instantly go clean their table whenever they were done.”
But McDuffee said he’s also concerned for the health of his patrons.
“I handle their drinks all day long so that makes me worry because what if I’m carrying and I’m giving it out to other people but I don’t even know it.”
McDuffee said he hasn’t seen a noticeable downtick in business yet, adding the large group of regulars who come in every morning to enjoy a cup of coffee are still coming.
But many who are currently unemployed are having trouble landing a job in the service industry as it braces for the economic losses.
Karl Molitor recently left his job at a hotel in Traverse City, Michigan to manage a family medical emergency in Murray. After several weeks of unsuccessfully landing a full-time job in the hospitality industry he accepted a part-time job in Mayfield delivering auto parts.
“I’ve been in the hotel industry for almost 20 years and I’ve never had trouble finding a job, but there’s a hiring freeze from here to Paris [Tennessee]. Normally the hospitality industry, even during the recession people were still traveling,” he said. “Everybody is scared, all public gatherings are canceled and nobody wants to travel.”
Molitor said he spoke this morning with his manager at the hotel in Michigan where he’s guaranteed a job as soon as he’s able to return, thanks to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). He noted even they’re on a hiring freeze and he wouldn’t be able to return if it weren’t for the FMLA.
But even in Michigan, he said, the hospitality and tourism business are already taking a huge hit. The hotel where he’s employed which offers 100 rooms had only 15 rooms occupied last night, he said. It was sold out for a pub crawl event scheduled for this evening but now that the event has been cancelled, he said the hotel has only 10 rooms sold.
Etcetera Coffeehouse is a financial supporter of WKMS.
