HAZLETON, Pa. — It's take-out only at Frankie's Pizzeria and Restaurant on Wyoming Street in downtown Hazleton. The staff here says 2020 has been anything but easy.
"Yes, this year has been one for the books," said Lauren Sacco. Her family has run the restaurant for 26 years. "We're navigating and reinventing ourselves over and over and a lot of choppy, uncharted territory."
Staff at Frankie's are frustrated with all the restrictions imposed by the governor.
Hazleton's mayor, Jeff Cusat, grew up in the restaurant business. He understands the struggle too.
"The restaurants survive on basically five major nights a year, and Christmas parties and all of that was canceled this year. You know you lost Mother's Day, you lost Father's Day," added Cusat. "You got shut down for Thanksgiving. You got shut down for Christmas. These are all the major events that keep restaurants going."
The United Way of Greater Hazleton is hoping to help with the Greater Hazleton Area Hospitality & Restaurant Worker Relief Fund.
"The program is designed for restaurant employees, primarily waiters, waitresses, bus staff," explained Patrick Ward, the President, and CEO of United Way of Greater Hazleton. "Any positions that would mean displaced because of the governor's order."
Restaurant workers who are affected by the pandemic can apply on the organization's website to receive a $200 gift card. You must meet income guidelines, prove that you work at a Hazleton area restaurant, and give a short description of how the pandemic and restaurant guidelines from the governor's office have affected you.
"I'm happy to say we raised just under $18,000. So we will be awarding the grants until the money runs out," says Ward.
Restaurants are grateful for the opportunity for their employees but hope a more permanent form of relief comes soon.
"It's a good thing, but it's a very small start, but a very gracious start. I mean, we're very grateful and thankful for that. But moving forward, it doesn't look like our January 4 is going to be 'okay, you know Monday, here we are, we're open, and you've just come off a roller coaster.' So good things like this are great, but it needs to continue because there's a lot of people that have been knocked off their feet," said Sacco.
If you would like to apply for a gift card or donate to the fund, you can find a link to do so here. The deadline to apply for a gift card is December 31st, but the United Way says it can extend that deadline if needed.