By Ben Hymowitz
After not opening for 4 months, Fortina Yonkers, where I am employed as a host, finally re-opened in late June. A hosting job sounds easy, right? Looking at the reservations chart and seating people would usually be an easy job, but with COVID-19, everything has changed. From the safety protocols to patron requests, it’s been a bit of a struggle to adapt.
When I arrive at Fortina Yonkers, nestled right beside Broadway in Yonkers, I enter the humongous warehouse that is Fortina. I take my temperature with the touchless thermometer, and the beep of thermometer prompts me to check it and record it the iPad for my daily health check.
As I approach the tablet to clock in, the scent of the various homecooked Italian foods hits me like a favorite song. It never gets old. The scent of the truffle that accompanies the Luigi Bianco pizza is one of the most distinctive and amazing scents you’ve ever smelled. And the bustling movement of the waitstaff is a sight to be seen. They run the restaurant like a well-oiled machine.
The patio of Fortina is filled, with the proper social distancing measures enforced of course. The space outside is magnificent. There is a tent with flower pots lining the outside.
Looking at the iPad, I see its already filled with reservations, most of which prefer outdoor seating. This is where the problems begin. Most people who have reservations — as well as those customers who walk in — prefer to sit outside. Walk-ins come up to the door. They ask to sit outside. I tell them it’s a 15-30 minute wait. Most people don’t want to wait, but reservations get priority especially if they request outdoor seating. It’s a struggle because sometimes we have more outdoor requests than tables, and this is tough in the restaurant business. Considering that we have been busy, it adds another flame to the fire.
When it comes to sanitizing, we take it very seriously. We use a spray bottle of bleach and water to wipe off tables, chairs, etc. When sanitizing the tables, we change our gloves from when we clear it off to when we wipe it down.
Like everything else in this world right now, it is stressful. But the only way we get thorough this is to do what we have to do and stick together.
