How have customers reacted to St. Louis restaurants that require proof of vaccination? —John K., St. Louis
Requiring a restaurant patron to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination became controversial the minute that the policy was first instituted this summer. (To date, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has kept a running list of establishments.) We asked several area restaurant owners how customers have reacted.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Ben Poremba, Bengelina Hospitality Group: “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We definitely lost a few customers but made up the loss by having those who supported our decision come to our places more often and reaching a segment that previously wasn’t frequenting our places. Outside the noise that some people make online—we’ve received one-star reviews from folks 1,000 miles away, who never stepped foot in our place—for the most part, even those who have a different perspective respected my obligation as an employer to protect the safety of my staff and customers according to my best judgment, even if they sharply disagreed with that decision.”
Nick Bognar: indo, Nippon Tei: “It was a bit tough at first, but lately it has been wonderful. I hate to be negative, but I was very shocked by how rude and aggressive some guests were about it. They took their business elsewhere, which is fine, but we could have done without the abuse of my staff and myself. I think there is a tranquil sense of safety that now makes the dining room just feel better. People are considerate, and there isn’t a big problem about the rules. We have been very busy at both locations and haven’t had a problem with a guest in a very long time. It seems better than ever in that sense. All in all, it is about the safety of our people—if there’s a policy we can adapt that keeps my staff safer, we will always choose to implement that policy.”
Rob Connoley, Bulrush: “We stepped back and asked, ‘What is the purpose we’re trying to accomplish? For my staff, it was about protecting ourselves, our families, and our guests. That may seem obvious, but we are a unique restaurant with a very unique physical space. We are a very small staff, where losing even one staff has the potential to throw our whole service out the window… We were not interested in making a political statement or using the policy for marketing purposes. We never made the announcement, sent a press release, or posted the policy by itself anywhere. We simply noted it in our reservation system and allowed any existing reservations to cancel without penalty… We anticipated some angry backlash. After about six months of this policy, we have had two cancellations and four angry emails. I certainly am not asking for more, but I think that’s a pretty remarkable statement on how people are willing to be respectful of our decision and, more importantly, our rationale. I have no doubt that it cost us many more reservations than I am aware of, but my staff remains healthy, and my family is alive. I can also say that there has not been a day that’s gone by where I didn’t get a note attached to a reservation that said something to the effect of, ‘This is the first meal out in two years. Thank you for the policy.’”
Steve Smith, The Royale: “We feel this provides a safe environment for our staff, customers, and our community. We know this isn’t what everyone is doing, but it is what’s right for us at this time, and we hope that other businesses in the community are doing what they can to create a safe environment as well.”
Ben Grupe, Tempus: “Let’s be clear: This isn’t about politics, nor should it be. Our teams deserve to come to work and be healthy and not have to put themselves or anyone else in harm’s way… We’ve had a few [guests] who were frustrated and expressed that they wouldn’t come. We respect people’s ability to make their own decisions, and we’re OK standing in arms with our staff that health and well-being comes before profit… Beyond that, we hear daily from people who have chosen to dine with us because of what we’ve been doing and commit to continue doing. The biggest compliment is a guest who is so excited to tell us this is their first meal indoors since all of this started. It’s an indescribable joy to see someone nearly lost for words at something that used to be as routine as dining out… Overall, the response from our guests who have been coming in is clear in the reviews we’re getting publicly and the feedback we get from personally from individuals. We see tons of medical personnel who have thanked us for our efforts internally, as well as our volunteerism in the community to help with vaccine distribution. Anytime we hear this, we’re grateful to be a place of hope. It’s an awesome feeling to offer people some joy right now.”
Follow George on Twitter and Instagram, or send him an “Ask George” email at [email protected]. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
