Every week, an Evanston couple ventures to Stacked & Folded to enjoy the cozy atmosphere by the restaurant’s patio fire pits and share a bottle of wine. It’s a tradition that captures how the restaurant creates a welcoming environment during the winter months, owner Josh Keating said.
Despite this warm exchange, the changing seasons bring in a cold front for many businesses, especially those in food service like Stacked & Folded. Customers are less inclined to go out in the cold, and the restaurant’s indoor seating options are limited.
Several local ice cream parlors, including Hartigan’s Ice Cream Shoppe and Parlor on Central, shut down for the season, while the ones that remain open are largely franchise establishments.
On the other hand, Evanston restaurants have to reckon with the frigid temperatures that invade their signature outdoor seating. Keating said his restaurant is “fortunate” to have fire pits on hand.
Some restaurants face additional obstacles. La Cocinita, a restaurant specializing in Venezuelan-inspired Latin American street food, typically operates a food truck in addition to its Evanston location. Co-owner Rachel Angulo said the food truck runs minimally during the winter.
“Most of our catering events throughout the year are pretty concentrated in the summer months,” Angulo said. “People are, of course, more inclined to eat inside when it’s cold, so we typically only operate the food truck when there are special events.”
Angulo said running a food truck in the winter also comes with unique logistical challenges.
For example, the truck employees have to cover their propane tanks with a propane blanket to keep the propane temperature from dipping below a certain level. Angulo said that there also can be challenges starting the vehicle.
A few restaurant representatives spoke to the dips in business that occur when Northwestern students leave campus for winter break. Keating said the students’ winter absence was a big hit for business.
“We have to reduce our labor to try to accommodate for that, and that’s never a pleasant thing to do, especially during the holidays,” Keating said.
Yet some businesses have a unique model that negates any sizable impact on their operations.
Five & Dime, located on an outdoor rooftop deck, sits above its sister restaurants — Taco Diablo and The Blue Horse Tavern.
One of the restaurants’ managers, Michael Marceron, said that while Five & Dime itself typically closes during the winter, except for private events and overflow, the downstairs locations continue to operate at their normal capacity.
“On days where it’s really heavily snowing, we’re impacted a decent amount. But other than that, it’s fairly normal for the season,” Marceron said.
Despite the worries that accompany the winter months, Keating emphasizes the importance of community support to weather seasonal changes as a business.
“We want people to know that we’re here for them. We have so many wonderful things to offer, not just the community, but also for the local students as well,” Keating said. “We’re a community restaurant, and we’re a neighborhood bar, and we want to be here for a long time, but we need everyone’s help.”
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