The sun-soaked deck and parking lot-turned-patio was as full as social distancing rules can permit, and even through masks you could smell the familiarly inviting wisps of cooking salt-cured pork belly.
The line was 20 people deep with a two-hour wait for this final Bacon Night and night of service at the Shiloh Grill on Mount Washington, which opened in 2010 as a sister establishment to the original Harris Grill in Shadyside. Co-owners Rodney Swartz and Alex Fruzynski opted not to renew the Shiloh Grill lease in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which has wrought havoc in the hospitality industry.
“It’s been a hard 2020,” Mr. Swartz said. “The stars aligned, and it wasn’t a good alignment. That’s where we are,” he said, although he was heartened to see the turnout on Tuesday night at the place known for a fun and funky atmosphere, outdoor seating, a cheekily written menu and the regular Tuesday “Bacon Night” promotion.
“It’s overwhelming, honestly.”
Mr. Fruzynski noted that some guests had told him it was the first time they’ve been out in months and were giddy about it, but he also pulled no punches in describing the difficulty in running a bar and restaurant during a pandemic.
“Operating this place the last four months has been great in many ways; it’s been hellish in other ways. I’ve been telling people that operating a restaurant is the most inefficient way to turn human effort into dollars, hands down. For the past few months it’s been that, while poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick.
“It’s demoralizing when you see on social media bars around the city where people are standing shoulder-to-shoulder and not giving a [expletive]. It’s infuriating when you get shut down for a couple weeks because there’s a bump in the numbers and we’re doing everything right.”
Scores of bars and restaurants have closed permanently since the pandemic arrived in Pittsburgh. Other recent high-profile closures include Spoon and BRGR in East Liberty and Mixtape on Penn Avenue in Garfield.
“I am not optimistic about our industry at all,” Mr. Fruzynski said. “This summer because of all the outdoor seating has been kind of a fake bump. I think we’re gonna see a devastating effect on our industry come the cold weather. It’s not gonna be possible to make the numbers work in a winter climate. Forget about it.”
And while Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas suggested on Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that service industry employees nationwide do not want to return to work and would rather collect unemployment, Mr. Fruzynski was effusive in his praise for his staff and their grace under the pressure of COVID restrictions.
“It’s been heartwarming to see the team come together and our family of employees coming together and working hard. That’s what this industry has always been about for me.
“They’ve all been superstars and superheroes, and they show up for work and doing everything we need to be doing, wearing masks in a hot kitchen, in a hot parking lot and just doing this and showing up with a smile and being champs about it.”
Despite the closing of the Shiloh, there is some good news on the horizon for fans of the Harris Grill and Bacon Night — in which Mr. Swartz said they routinely would go through 60-75 pounds of bacon each Tuesday.
The Shadyside location of Harris Grill at 5747 Ellsworth Ave. has been closed since February 2019, when an electrical fire tore through and gutted the interior, but Mr. Swartz said he is cautiously optimistic it will return by spring. A Downtown location at 245 Fourth Ave. has been shuttered since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Pittsburgh, but Mr. Swartz said that it’s slated to reopen Aug. 10. He said that nearly all the Shiloh employees will be absorbed into the Downtown location.
Spencer Warren was at the Shiloh Grill with his friend Nick Rizzo. Mr. Warren, who owns The Warren Bar & Burrow Downtown, for five years lived down the street from the Shiloh Grill.
“I’ve been drinking their frozen cosmos for years now. They’ve gone through the iterations of the different styles of cocktails and have just always been there. They’ve really created a culture. It’s a shame that this one is gonna close,” he said, but he is thrilled that the Downtown location is set to return.
“I can’t wait. It’ll be great to have them back open Downtown.”
And although the short term reality for bars and restaurants is murky at best, Mr. Fruzynski said that the in the long term, dining out is a vital experience.
“That’s been clear … going out to eat and being social is part of the human condition, there’s not doubt about that, and we provide an essential service by everyone’s measure.”
Dan Gigler: dgigler@post-gazette.com; Twitter @gigs412.
First Published: July 29, 2020, 10:29 a.m.
