Restaurant Features ‘Return to Music Night’, Tony & Al’s Push Back Against COVID Losses

ALACHUA ‒ With the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and infection resurgences in multiple states including Florida, the struggle for businesses to survive continues, especially in restaurants and bars. In Alachua, one local restaurant is planning a live entertainment night on Aug. 20 to attract customers and boost revenues.

On Main Street in Alachua, Tony and Al's Restaurant has become a local favorite for Italian food was voted Favorite Restaurant in Alachua by readers of “Our Town” magazine. The restaurant was also known for monthly Art & Music nights with acoustic music and artists exhibiting their works. But the pandemic changed all that.

In Florida restaurants can only serve at 50 percent capacity and bars remain closed. Restaurants have lost more revenue and jobs than any other industry, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In June a survey by the National Restaurant Association showed food service lost nearly $120 billion out of a projected at $899 billion in sales for 2020 so far.

Restaurant owners have been forced to quickly come up with new adaptations on menus, points of service, hours, delivery and takeout models that better serve their local communities just to keep the lights on. Restaurants are known to run on thin margins, which makes a forced closure even more painful as they struggle to keep the business going.

Yelp released an economic report in late June revealing that, as of June 15, more than 57,000 restaurants listed on the site had closed permanently since the onset. Locally, well known restaurants have closed including The Diner in High Springs, and Gainesville’s Leonardo’s 706, The Swamp, Civilization and Francesca's Trattoria.

In April, Toni & Al’s offered take out or delivery and was closed for in house dining. When in-house dining was first allowed, it was limited to 25 percent capacity and later revised to 50 percent, still cutting revenues in half.

Owner and Chef Al Zuluaga was concerned not only about his restaurant, but also about his employees. “It was important to keep everyone employed and keep the restaurant going even if the profit was slim.” Due to the pandemic and fears of infection, Zuluaga said he has also seen a dramatic reduction in people coming out to restaurants.

The pandemic also meant the end of art and music night, which also meant lost income for artists and musicians. Local artist Peggy Justensen had arranged for the monthly showcase for over two years. After five months without entertainment at the restaurant, Justensen stopped in to see how the restaurant was doing.

Zuluaga and Justensen decided it was time to bring back the music as long as the restaurant followed all social distancing rules and opened the patio for outdoor seating. Recognizing the financial hit the restaurant had taken, Justensen created a special event titled “Help Keep Al in Business Night” on Thursday, Aug. 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The event will also feature musicians Allan Lowe and Don Hennesy. Lowe was lead singer and acoustic guitar for Dixie Desperadoes through the years, and for the last six years he was lead vocal and acoustic guitar with Wild Blue Yonder with two Dixie Desperados albums and one Wild Blue Yonder albums under his belt.

Don Hennesy was a session musician in Los Angeles. More recently he's has played in several Gainesville bands, his most recent gig playing guitar for local country favorite Clay Brooker.

The two will perform inside and there will be speakers to the patio so outside diners can enjoy the music. The event will start at 6 p.m. with both inside and patio seating. Masks are required unless drinking and/or eating and seating will be limited to 50 percent capacity with all tables socially distanced at six ft apart. Tony & Al's Restaurant is located at 14960 Main Street in Alachua.

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