DETROIT —

While restaurants in the U.S. and United Kingdom are open without restrictions and often bustling, they are entering their second winter of the coronavirus pandemic anxious about what's ahead: They're squeezed by labor shortages and skyrocketing food costs and the omicron variant is looming.

"I'm extremely worried. I've never felt like we were out of the woods," said Caroline Glover, chef and owner of the restaurant Annette in the Denver suburb of Aurora.

Related video above: Surging inflation forces businesses to adapt

The rapid spread of omicron already is pummeling the industry in Britain and elsewhere, with restaurants, hotels and pubs reporting cancellations at the busiest and most lucrative time of year. Businesses urged the U.K. government to offer relief after officials warned people to think carefully about socializing. Scotland and Wales have pledged millions of pounds for businesses, adding pressure for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to do the same in England.

"It's pretty devastating. For private hires, bigger tables of say eight to 16 people, those have pretty much disappeared. These are the bread and butter for restaurants at Christmastime," said Jeff Galvin, co-owner of Galvin Restaurants, a group of five upmarket venues in London.

Many businesses said hundreds of festive corporate lunch bookings vanished almost overnight as infections began to soar and Johnson announced tighter restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing in most indoor spaces, though restaurants are open as usual.

Glover in Colorado worries about renewed restrictions if infections climb. For now, business has returned, with her dining room back to full capacity — up from a cap of 50% last year — and four greenhouses outside booked far in advance.

Similarly, diners have returned and business is strong for Amy Brandwein, who owns the Italian restaurant Centrolina and a small cafe, Piccolina, in Washington. After her restaurants survived lockdowns with takeout and grocery offerings, "I could safely say we're back to 2019 levels," she said.

But staffing remains a challenge. In a recent survey of 3,000 U.S. restaurant operators, 77% said they didn't have enough workers to meet demand, according to the National Restaurant Association, an industry trade group.

Many restaurant workers started new careers or went back to school. Jada Sartor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, saw her wages rise from $10 per hour to $16 per hour this year as restaurants grew more desperate for workers, but she recently quit her serving job because she couldn't find affordable child care.

"The cost of living is just so high you can't afford to really live," she said.

Kristin Jonna, owner of restaurant and wine bar Vinology in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said she raised wages nearly 40% to attract and retain her staff of 35. It was a change that needed to happen in the service industry, she said. But she can't hike menu prices enough to compensate.

"Everyone knows that beef is more expensive, but high-end, highly skilled labor is expensive, too," Jonna said. "That is the very tricky part of our business right now."

Jonna said the restaurant is humming despite high COVID-19 caseloads in Michigan. She has fewer large events scheduled, but the customers who are coming in are spending more.

U.S. sales at restaurants and bars hit an estimated $73.7 billion in November, up 37% from the same month last year, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But that was partly due to higher menu prices as restaurants try to account for inflation.

Sara Lund, owner of Bodega and The Rest, a bar and restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah, said her ingredient costs rose between 15% and 40% this year.

"The margins on food are never going to be astronomical, even in good times," she said. "But paying 40% more for protein? I can't pass that along to the customer."

Diners know restaurants are struggling, and many say they have resumed eating out to help their favorite local spots. Liz Cooper of Needham, Massachusetts, said she's comfortable dining indoors with her family of five, all of whom are vaccinated except for her 4-year-old daughter.

"If you like a restaurant and a small business you should get out there and support them," Cooper said. "They might have to close, and then you'll be heartbroken that you can't get your favorite chicken parm or cannoli."

Steve Geffen, who owns four Chicago-area restaurants, including Once Upon a Grill, said he removed 30% of the tables from his restaurants to ensure customers felt comfortable dining inside. So far, it's working.

"They don't mind waiting longer, knowing they're not sitting on top of everybody else," he said.

But Jeanne Busch in Forest Park, Illinois, is sticking with occasional takeout.

"I am definitely not comfortable maskless indoors in a crowd," Busch said. "As we head into winter and omicron continues its rampage, we expect mostly to be eating at home."

In Britain, omicron has already devastated restaurants and pubs. Patrick Dardis, who heads the Young's chain of some 220 pubs, said he hoped officials would come up with a financial relief plan soon. About 30% of the chain's bookings canceled last week.

"There are thousands of businesses — not just pubs — that could collapse in January if the current situation isn't partnered with proper financial support," he said.

UKHospitality, an industry trade group, urged tax relief, saying concerns about omicron have wiped out 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) in sales this month.

Restaurants also are clamoring for government support in the U.S., where the Restaurant Revitalization Fund ran dry earlier this year after dispersing $28.6 billion to 100,000 applicants.

Sean Kennedy, executive vice president for public policy at the National Restaurant Association, said the industry needs at least $40 billion to fund the 200,000 applicants who didn't receive grants. So far, Congress hasn't taken action.

It's harder for restaurants to explain what's happening now that their dining rooms are full and they're not on lockdown, Kennedy said.

"They think that we're fully packed and crushing it, but the answer is, we are barely getting by," he said.

Lindsay Mescher, who opened the Greenhouse Cafe in Lebanon, Ohio, in 2019, is frustrated that she never received a promised government grant. She was approved in May, but demand was so high the fund was exhausted before she received any money.

She took out loans to keep her staff of eight employed while offering only carryout for the first 16 months of the pandemic. The cafe reopened to diners this year and had a busy summer and fall, but Mescher is still struggling. She used to pay $165.77 for a case of 400 takeout salad bowls, for example; now they cost $246.75.

"The funds would have guaranteed survival for us," Mescher said. "It's extremely unfair that some restaurants got relief and some didn't."

___

Anderson reported from New York and Hui from London.

CHICAGO — For many American employees, the pandemic forced them to work from home. For some, it was the first time. That move has raised questions about what the future of the workplace will look like beyond the pandemic.

A year and a half into the outbreak, some businesses were phasing back into in-office work. But the surge of the delta variant has delayed a return to the office for many.

Now, a new survey from the small business review site Digital.com reveals just how much the future of workplaces appears to be changing.

“Seven out of 10 businesses since March of 2020 have closed at least some of their office,” said Dennis Consorte, a small business consultant with Digital.com. “It is an indicator that what's been happening over the last couple of decades is just accelerating, and that is we are moving towards more of a remote workforce.”

What's new now is that much of the change looks like it will be long-lasting.

According to the survey, 69% of businesses say they've permanently closed some or all office spaces. That breaks down to 37% permanent closures of all physical office locations and 32% partial closures.

“This lockdown was a catalyst where businesses said, 'OK, we need to adapt if we want to survive.' And that's what they did,” said Consorte. “Businesses are realizing that they can cut their overhead tremendously by not having all of this office space.”

The closures are differentiated by business size. Those businesses with 10 or fewer employees were more likely to keep all office spaces open, while 45% of businesses with over 500 employees reported closing all of them.

“Cities that historically have had large numbers of inward commuters, often by mass transit those people are, in my view, are not going to return in the numbers that we were accustomed to before the pandemic,” said Steven Davis, a professor of international business and economics at the University of Chicago.

While, reduced overhead, real estate savings and less commuting are wins for companies and their employees, Davis says a permanent transformation will likely be painful for others.

Without the daily foot traffic of in-office employees, shops, cafes and restaurants in city centers will likely take a hit.

“A lot of those businesses will be operating at lower intensity, or not operating at all,” said Davis. “It doesn't mean those spending dollars disappear. They just go to other places in the economy like the suburbs.”

Consorte says it will take innovation to contend with the changes.

“Property owners are going to have to be creative to figure out what to do with this space that is no longer occupied,” he said.

How exactly this balances out, say economists, is still in flux, but one thing is certain: the paradigm shift means office work will look significantly different than it has in the past.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — From online shopping to food on demand, industries built for convenience became essential as cities shut down and health care was no different.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has supercharged the market for at-home testing," said Derek Newell, president of LetsGetChecked.

With over 30 at-home testing kits, he says the company was ready to help fill the gap.

“Many people are discouraged from getting elective care," said Newell. "But people still need to get care, and people need to get testing.”

From men's and women’s health to wellness and sexual health, he says more people are discovering the range of tests that can be delivered to your doorstep.

“The tests that we’ve seen the most growth in are those related to condition management, like colorectal cancer screening; especially screenings that take up procedures," said Newell.

The kits are designed to be simple to use, with step-by-step instructions and how-to videos online.

Customers send their samples to a lab and get results within days.

“If you have an abnormal result, one of our physicians or nurses will call you and talk to you about the results and help you figure out how to access care," said Newell.

LetsGetChecked says combined with their at-home COVID-19 test, demand is up 860 percent.

Another popular home testing company, Everlywell, is also reporting massive growth during the pandemic:

• Sales of most tests grew over 100 percent
• Many major tests and categories are up 300-400 percent
• Fertility test orders spiked 233 percent when stay at home orders went into place in March

“Access is important. People are not excited about going into the doctor’s office," said Newell.

He says their non-COVID test kits are FDA cleared and approved and are processed in certified labs.

“We analyzed over 10,000 results with the FDA and convinced them that these tests, including the human error, were as accurate as the tests that would be done in the physician’s office," said Newell.

But some doctors urge caution for consumers considering at-home testing.

“Laboratory tests are complicated artifacts," explained Dr. Sheldon Campbell, a professor of laboratory medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

Sheldon is also the director of clinical laboratories for the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.

He says while home testing can improve access to health care, he has concerns with the growing trend.

“A test ordered on somebody that doesn’t need it is not only wasteful, but it also is potentially dangerous because a false positive can lead you away from the true diagnosis," said Dr. Sheldon.

He sees some value in categories like sexual health, as STD testing can carry a stigma. But Campbell believes many conditions are best diagnosed by your doctor.

"A physician that knows you, knows your medical history and can put your new illness in the context of what you’ve got going on beforehand and your risk factors," said Sheldon. "And can interpret your results in light of that because it's all part of a story."

He says false positives or results taken out of context could lead to unnecessary additional testing and treatment. Or on the other hand, real problems could be missed. He suggests consulting your physician before ordering at-home testing kits.

But Newell points out that human error can also happen in a doctor’s office. As the company continues to develop more at-home tests, he believes convenience will drive the future of health care.

LetsGetChecked testing kits cost between $49 and $349. While they are not currently covered by insurance, Newell believes many customers appreciate the price certainty and says some have gotten reimbursed after submitting the data to their providers.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio —

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was placed on lockdown for over four hours Thursday evening into early Friday morning.

The base’s command center operator confirmed that the base was placed on lockdown at around 9:35 p.m. The lockdown was announced over loudspeakers.

According to the 88th Air Base Wing, authorities responded to a report of an active shooter in the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in Area A at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Two people believed they heard gunshots and reported it, which led to a response.

Officials said security forces are currently sweeping the building while the base is on lockdown. It's unclear at this time if shots have been fired which is why security is sweeping the building.

The three-story building is about 850,000 square feet.

Officials said there's a lot of secure spaces, some of which are owned by other agencies. People are having to come in to provide access to secure spaces so that security forces can complete their sweep.

Therefore, the size of the building and the search of secure spaces is why the search took several hours to conduct and continued into the overnight hours.

The lockdown means no one was allowed to come in the building, leave the building or move about on base. Employees and residents were to stay in their building or house and only key emergency officials were allowed to move.

Local law enforcement were staged for mutual aid if needed.

At around 1:45 a.m., officials announced an "all clear" at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and lifted the lockdown. They did not report their findings but said they would release more information when available.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

"We understand there are concerns and questions," 88th Air Base Wing tweeted just before 11 p.m. "Our first priority is to protect our people. All of our military and civilian employees are trained to quickly assess the situation and take appropriate action."

Nearby, Wright State University sent out a message to students and employees saying they should stay clear of the areas toward the north end of campus, such as Kauffman Avenue and Ohio State Route 844. Students are advised to "take appropriate safety precautions to protect themselves if necessary."

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located just east of Dayton, Ohio.

WLWT has a reporter at the scene and will provide updates when more information is available.

WASHINGTON —

The Pentagon police force on Wednesday identified the officer who was fatally stabbed at a transit center outside the Pentagon.

The Pentagon Force Protection Agency said Officer George Gonzalez was a New York native and Army veteran who served in Iraq. He'd been on the police force for three years. He died after being stabbed during a burst of violence at a transit center outside the building, and a suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene.

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown Tuesday after a man attacked the officer on a bus platform shortly after 10:30 a.m. The ensuing violence, which included a volley of gunshots, resulted in "several casualties," said Woodrow Kusse, the chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which is responsible for security in the facility.

The suspect was identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia.

The officer was ambushed by Lanz, who ran at him and stabbed him in the neck, according to two of the law enforcement officials. Responding officers then shot and killed Lanz. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the attack and were digging into Lanz’s background, including any potential history of mental illness or any reason he might want to target the Pentagon or police officers.

The officials could not discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Lanz had enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in October 2012 but was "administratively separated" less than a month later and never earned the title Marine, the Corps said in a statement.

Lanz was arrested in April in Cobb County, Georgia, on criminal trespassing and burglary charges, according to online court records. The same day, a separate criminal case was filed against Lanz with six additional charges, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat and a charge for rioting in a penal institution, the records show.

A judge reduced his bond in May to $30,000 and released him, imposing some conditions, including that he not ingest illegal drugs and that he undergo a mental health evaluation. The charges against him were still listed as pending. A spokesman for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lanz had been previously held at the agency’s detention center but referred all other questions to the FBI’s field office in Washington.

An attorney who represented Lanz in the Georgia cases didn’t immediately respond to a phone message and email seeking comment, and messages left with family members at Lanz’s home in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth, Georgia, were not immediately returned.

Tuesday's attack on a busy stretch of the Washington area’s transportation system jangled the nerves of a region already primed to be on high alert for violence and potential intruders outside federal government buildings, particularly following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

At a Pentagon news conference, Kusse declined to confirm that the officer had been killed or provide even basic information about how the violence had unfolded or how many might be dead. He would only say that an officer had been attacked and that "gunfire was exchanged."

Kusse and other officials declined to rule out terrorism or provide any other potential motive. But Kusse said the Pentagon complex was secure and "we are not actively looking for another suspect at this time." He said the FBI was leading the investigation.

"I can’t compromise the ongoing investigation," Kusse said.

The FBI confirmed only that it was investigating and there was "no ongoing threat to the public" but declined to offer details or a possible motive.

Later Tuesday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency issued a statement confirming the loss of the officer, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences and said flags at the Pentagon will be flown at half-staff.

"This fallen officer died in the line of duty, helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in — and who visit — the Pentagon on a daily basis," Austin said in a statement. "This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make. We are forever grateful for that service and the courage with which it is rendered."

The attack occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, a hub for subway and bus lines. The station is steps from the Pentagon building, which is in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington.

An Associated Press reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot. Another AP journalist heard police yelling "shooter."

A Pentagon announcement said the facility was on lockdown, but that was lifted after noon, except for the area around the crime scene.

Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden at the time of the shooting. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Austin returned to the building and went to the Pentagon police operations center to speak to the officers there.

It was not immediately clear whether any additional security measures might be instituted in the area.

In 2010, two officers with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency were wounded when a gunman approached them at a security screening area. The officers, who survived, returned fire, fatally wounding the gunman, identified as John Patrick Bedell.

_____

Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Michael Biesecker in Washington and Matthew Barakat and Sagar Meghani in Arlington, Virginia, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

U.S. Capitol Police said one officer has died and another was injured after someone drove a vehicle past an access point on Friday afternoon at the Capitol, ramming the two officers.

The driver got out of the vehicle while appearing to brandish a knife before being shot by authorities, Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said during an afternoon news conference.

During the news conference, Pittman announced the death of one of the officers. Capitol Police later said the officer was William "Billy" Evans, who had been with the force for 18 years.

No information about the injured officer was released.

The driver died after being shot by authorities, Pittman said. News outlets identified the suspect as Noah Green, 25, of Indiana.

Robert Contee, acting chief of Metropolitan Police Department, said the incident is "not an ongoing threat."

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Pittman said Metro Police continue investigating the incident.

Video showed National Guard troops mobilizing near the scene.

One witness, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, said he was finishing a Good Friday service nearby when he suddenly heard three shots ring out.

The incident happened just after 1 p.m. about 100 yards from the entrance of the building on the Senate side of the Capitol. Fencing that prevented vehicular traffic near that area was recently removed as the Capitol has started to open up after the Jan. 6 riots.

The security checkpoint is typically used by senators and staff on weekdays. Congress is currently on recess.

Video posted online showed a dark colored sedan crashed against a vehicle barrier and a police K9 inspecting the vehicle.

President Joe Biden had just departed the White House for Camp David when the incident occurred. As customary, he was traveling with a member of the National Security Council Staff who was expected to brief him on the incident.

Vice President Kamala Harris said that Evans made the ultimate sacrifice and the country is mourning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot. But what the virus can’t touch is the things that bring us comfort.

“They feel like they want comfort food, and so, they come to a deli and we provide that to them,” Jacqueline Canter said of her customers that visit her deli.

Canter is the third-generation owner of Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district. The deli first opened in the 1930s.

“As far as the celebrities go, Beyonce was here, I don’t even know where to start,” she said of the big names that have come to Canter’s over the years.

Canter's has been used as a location to film movies and TV shows over the years. Its eternal autumn ceiling is unmistakable for many in Los Angeles and has been featured in plenty of movies and TV shows.

“It’s probably the most photographed ceiling, next to the Sistine chapel. I see it on a lot of people’s phones,” worker Greg Dovell said.

This past year has proven to challenge even the sturdiest of landmarks.

“I worked all my life. I worked since I was 14 years old, and I’m 58 now. So, it was difficult not working,” Dovell said.

Dovell is back working at Canter’s. The deli can only be a quarter full right now, but that’s better than what’s been the reality for much of the pandemic.

“Originally, it was going to be for two weeks, kind of flatten the curve thing two weeks, but of course, we found it took more than two weeks to do that,” Dovell said.

When coronavirus set in, the health department banned indoor dining and mostly kept it that way until last month.

Canter’s survived off take-out and delivery apps but many employees, like Dovell, were out of work for close to a year.

“Thank God unemployment was there; thank God the stimulus had come out,” he said.

In March, Los Angeles County lifted those indoor dining restrictions, bringing people like Guy and Leslie Devillez back.

“It was so weird to see the empty booths, because it usually clatters in here where you usually can’t hear anything,” Guy Devillez said of Canter’s.

The couple says they usually come to Canter’s every couple of months, and on this particular morning, they were celebrating getting their COVID-19 vaccines at a health center nearby.

Frustration over California’s strict COVID-19 measures is one of the driving forces behind an effort to recall its governor.

However, the couple says they support their state’s approach.

“We have people in power here in California who have brains,” Leslie Devillez said. “We’re happy to follow it.”

“We follow whatever the politicians tell us to do. We just follow the order of the law,” Jacqueline Canter said.

As restrictions continue to lift, Canter will be able to hire back even more of the dozens of employees she had to lay off last year.

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it's my customers that I owe this to. They bring out the best in me. It's them, I couldn't do it without your help. It gives you hope that you know, we're turning the corner and that they were kind of on the back nine of this and hopefully we can get back to normal soon. This is what my people need right now. I have single moms that work here. I have high school kids that work here. You know, people with families and mortgages and car payments. So it was very welcome. We now know what it really does mean to the community and how much it is helping these places to survive and thrive during this time here at stitch, we celebrate the ways everyday people are making this country a kinder place to live. One incredible story at a time. One of the industries hardest hit by the pandemic was the service industry across the country. Good Samaritans have been stepping up and supporting their local restaurants in any way they can. Here are a few stories of patrons that are making a difference in their communities. One tip at a time in our first story, a beloved Taco Bell employee received the tip of a lifetime jodi cco, affectionately known as Taco Bell joe was given a tip he'll never forget. It's my customers that I owe this to. They bring out the best in me. It's them. I couldn't do it without your help. He's made such an impact that the community gifted Joe a check for over $6,000 Tricia Philly B started a Facebook group for local foodies to share news about their favorite restaurants during the pandemic. Then they decided to take it a step further. Members of the group voted on their favorite employee to help me. What won by a landslide. I'm gonna do my best to live up to it. It's a light a little candle in every heart Of every person that I meet, Joe has been an employee for over 20 years but never knew how many lives he impacted. You could have the worst day. By the time you get through the drive through there, you're just smiling. He just brings a smile to everybody's face. Um just interacting him with him in the drive thru just brings so much joy to just be part of this and to see this man so touched. Um it is life changing for me. So very, very grateful. They give me strength, they give you wisdom. They gave me vitality in our next story. We'll hear about a mystery regular who left thousands in tips at several bars in his community. One of the most mind blowing things that's happened to me in 10 years of doing this when Connor opened an envelope that a customer left him, he had to double check that it wasn't a mistake trying to figure out for a second whether that was what was intended. And then obviously, you know, you realize, you know, he left $2021 for 2021. It was pretty clear symbolism. I basically got months worth of rent in a tip. The mysterious good samaritan later came forward to reveal he had tipped five other bars that night. My mission that night was to support the local bars. Ernie also donated $1 million to the bar stool, sports restaurant fund that was set up to help small local businesses. I usually cook, I don't get take out that often, but when I do, I can just see the problems that are there and I encourage anybody that can do it. Please support the industry. It gives you hope that, you know, we're turning the corner and that we're kind of on the back nine of this and hopefully we can get back to normal soon Next. A restaurant rescue challenges taking over this community and helping struggling small businesses ultimately burning. There's $2500. This is the Venmo Challenge. It's a challenge where Stan Anderson collects donations through mobile payment apps to help local restaurants, they Venmo me or cash app or Paypal or chase basil, whatever and they give us money and they trust us to go than to restaurants like here and decide to give the money to the restaurant tours stan stopped by Bernie's pizza to give them a special surprise. Bernie and I both didn't sense anything, we didn't know anything that was, you know, what was gonna happen stan has already raised over $18,000 for struggling businesses through the Venmo challenge and now can add Bernie's pizza to the list. I was this something you kind of just took upon yourself to start? Well I don't know other than I can and what I mean by that is that anybody can, his work in the community hasn't gone unnoticed by the people he's helped. Great, good man, help me allow it helps take care of a few maybe extra bills that are laying around that are like 500,000 here whatever onto a story where another group on facebook decided to step up and help out local restaurants. When the Omaha Food lovers facebook group was founded, it was with the attention of simply sharing favorite places to eat locally during the pandemic though they realized they would be able to help restaurants that were struggling. We now know what it really does mean to the community and how much it is helping these places to survive and thrive. During this time, members of the group have supported multiple businesses in the area. I know it sounds dramatic. They're really, they say master stand and we're still here um serving people because they just kept telling others about us for new businesses like Kuantan john's food truck, support from the group has helped them stay afloat. That rug got pulled out from under us real quick. So we had had to pivot. So Omaha food lovers essentially was our assistance. It was support from members of this group that helped porky butts barbecue to get out there and support restaurants. Me right now, times have been tough and you know, there's a lot of restaurants in oh FL and places like myself that get a lot of publicity, but don't forget about the mom and pop shops and the smaller places support them all. Next, when an entire restaurant staff fell on hard times, a facebook group stepped in. Best friends diner has been hit hard during the pandemic. The first thing you try to cut back on of course is labor hours. Um So we shut down monday and Tuesday. We are now down to one server per shift. The tipping north country facebook group set out to help the staff when they learned about how badly the restaurant was struggling. It's a way of giving back to strangers. We raise money throughout the week and donate to a random service worker. You know, whether it be A server, a cook, it could be a mailman, it could be anybody and anybody in the service industry or local barber and whatnot. The group raised over $1,500 to tip the entire staff. With each staff member getting $130. apiece might seem small to some and large to others. You know, $130 is definitely, you know, I mean it's more than what anybody had in their pockets at the time, right? So um it was great to be able to get back. This is what my people need right now. I have single moms that work here, I have high school kids that work here, you know, people with families and mortgages and car payments. So it was very welcome. A restaurant owner received a birthday gift from barstool sports that helped save his business. Hello, is this Anthony? Oh my God. Oh my God! David, are you telling me what I need to hear? Yeah, yeah, we want to help you guys out. I'm going to cry right now, Anthony's Italian kitchen has been hit hard by the pandemic. It's lost over $300,000 and was months behind on rent. And I think tim solely deserves a big shout out here because he has really kept this place alive. And uh, he's a wonderful landlord. Tony submitted a video to barstool sports for its small business funds. I'm now in trouble, barstools, ceo Dave Portnoy saw the video and reached out to Tony to share the good news. I'm in a slump place right now. I don't quite know how to react and I've never caught at a loss for words, Tony will receive $25,000 every month that he needs it from the bar stool Sports fund. What a feeling that phone call is. Feel. It's just absolutely magic. It's magic. Somebody's telling you, they're going to give you money for a year and here's what he said. Jim, I'm gonna help you for one year. I mean, that's phenomenal. We hope you enjoyed these stories of good Samaritans across the country, doing their part to help restaurants and restaurant tours, if possible, get out there and support your favorite local businesses. Yeah, yeah.

Good Samaritans helping restaurants during the pandemic

Patrons stepping up to help small businesses

Updated: 5:50 PM EDT Jun 1, 2021

One of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic was the service industry. Across the country, Good Samaritans have been stepping up and supporting their local restaurants in any way they can.Here are a few stories of patrons that are making a difference in their communities, one tip at a time! Stitch brings you heartwarming stories from a community just like yours. It celebrates our hometown heroes and is inspired by communities, revitalized. Stitch is committed to honoring our history, celebrating our potential and highlighting the tales that bring us together. Every day, we are stitching together the American story.Want more stories like these? Follow Stitch on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

One of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic was the service industry. Across the country, Good Samaritans have been stepping up and supporting their local restaurants in any way they can.

Here are a few stories of patrons that are making a difference in their communities, one tip at a time!

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Stitch brings you heartwarming stories from a community just like yours. It celebrates our hometown heroes and is inspired by communities, revitalized. Stitch is committed to honoring our history, celebrating our potential and highlighting the tales that bring us together. Every day, we are stitching together the American story.

Want more stories like these? Follow Stitch on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.