It was the best of times; it was the worst of times, but when it was the worst of times for Jersey City eatery Würstbar, their best of neighbors at Virile Barber Shop swooped in to help.
Like many restaurants struggling to stay afloat in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Würstbar had adapted it’s business model to meet the current guidelines. Unfortunately a staff member was exposed to the virus. Rather ran risk spreading the disease, the management decided the best course of action was to shut down—at least temporarily.
“No, we are not randomly closed for ‘renovations!’” read their Instagram post. “We unfortunately, had an exposure to COVID-19 at Würstbar.
“Würstbar is a small team run by an extremely hardworking and loyal staff. Running the restaurant with only non-exposed employees isn’t an option for us at the moment.
“We decided as a team that we would close until every employee exposed or not has been tested and can return to work confident in their safety, and equally as important, our guests’ safety.
“Thank you to @hdsid_jc and Prestige Health Mobile for getting the entire staff tested so quickly. We look forward to serving you soon.”
Word of Würstbar’s crew quarantine quickly made the rounds of the tight-knit community. Luckily, Würstbar’s neighbors are pretty wünderbar.
In less than 24 hours, workers from Virile Barber Shop just up the street stepped up, offering to lend a hand by taking shifts to keep Würstbar open for business until the impacted staff members could all be tested and cleared.
“The weather is too nice out to let our neighbors at Würstbar stay closed!” Virile Barber Shop owner Andre Fersa posted. “I’ve taken over the bar and am selling PRETZELS, beer, wine and cider for outdoor seating only. Come on by and support this great staff.”
As expected, the grateful Würstbar staff was soon singing the praises of the generous community volunteers who’d pitched in to keep their doors open. “A big thank you to the crew at @virile for taking over Würstbar yesterday, that was a blast! We love this community and couldn’t ask for better neighbors.
“Let’s not forget barbershops and salons were hit just as hard as restaurants during the shutdown. With so many people home from the office and big events not happening it’s easy to skip a cut here and there. If you have the means, please get that extra cut and look your best for your Zoom call or socially distanced gathering.”
Now granted, a sweet story like this about neighbors going the extra mile for each other when the chips are down may not be the best thing you hear all day, but it sure won’t be the würst.
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