After an eight-month closure, a local downtown Phoenix hotspot reopened in time to enjoy Election Day with the community.
The Lost Leaf Bar and Gallery is loved by many because of its contributions to the fun and artistic side of the city. The owners of the Lost Leaf, Eric and Lauren Dahl, told The Arizona Republic in April that when they started a GoFundMe to keep their restaurant in business, they raised about $16,000 in just two weeks through contributions from their loyal customers.
“The only way we could reopen is because of your support via GoFundMe,” the Dahls wrote on their website, thelostleaf.org.
Although they have re-opened their doors, because of the pandemic, the business’ operations will be quite different.
When it comes to COVID precautions, The Lost Leaf staff is in control, Eric Dahl said in an email.
“We have talked at length with our staff that they have the final say in whether they decide to work, or if the bar is open. Any staff member can say ‘I don’t think we should open’ and we will not open,” he said.
They are taking many safety measures because of COVID-19, including requiring masks, offering outdoor seating only, shortening hours, and limiting capacity, as well as constant cleaning and sanitizing.
Customers and staff must be wearing a mask in order to enter the building, Eric Dahl said. The business will provide masks to people who need them and hand sanitizer will be available at each table.
Phoenix resident Joey Lawler said that he’s looking forward to going back to grab a drink and listen to music.
“I’ve only been there a couple of times but they had some live jazz playing and it was awesome and very soothing,” Lawler said.
They have also added bussing stations outside so that customers can deposit their own glassware and dishes to minimize person-to-person contact.
Only between 25 and 30 people will be allowed on the premises at a time. Customers will be allowed inside to use the restroom.
The Lost Leaf is now open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., but they plan to eventually return to their former hours, according to The Lost Leaf’s website.
On Halloween, they had a successful soft opening with friends and family, Eric Dahl said. That test run helped them in having a smooth reopening on Election Day.
“The Tuesday grand opening went off without any issues,” said Dahl.
Still, Dahl isn’t certain The Lost Leaf will be able to thrive like it did before the pandemic.
“It is going to take some time to see if this new model will be able to keep us above water. As far as numbers, we seem to be doing about 60% less than we were,” Dahl said.
For now, they are sticking with their 25-30 person occupancy plan, but Dahl said they are working toward expanding their outdoor space, which would allow for an additional 50 customers as well as outdoor concerts.
“The hardest part is accepting the fact that we may need to close permanently as the safest solution if cases begin to rise,” Dahl said.
Contact the reporter at ksmallor@asu.edu.
