A&E

Tricky timing: The pandemic has presented an extra test for these new Las Vegas restaurants

Image
Crème brûlée French toast at Johnny C’s Diner
Photo: Erik Kabik / Courtesy

Opening a restaurant under the best of circumstances is difficult enough. Launching one during a pandemic poses unprecedented challenges.

Oscar Sanchez, a veteran chef who has worked at Caesars Palace and the Bellagio, opened Lira Cafe (9886 S. Maryland Parkway) in Silverado Ranch the day before the shutdown began, only to close up shop the next day. “We put a lot of effort [and] money in this place for us to get going, and we had a good feeling,” Sanchez says. “But then this came by, and we were like, oh, my God, what are we going to do now?”

Lira Cafe’s Oscar Sanchez (Courtesy)

Lira, which specializes in Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine, immediately pivoted to curbside pickup and delivery, but Sanchez says it’s been tough getting customers to try a new spot while everyone has been staying at home. For now, he’s waiting to get everything in order so he can open up the dining room.

Chikyū Vegan Sushi Bar (1780 E. Serene Ave.), a high-end plant-based Japanese eatery, was originally scheduled to open on March 20, but had to postpone until May 7, offering to-go orders only in the meantime. The restaurant had been in the works for about a year, says Casson Trenor, a partner in Shizen Hospitality Group, which also runs Shizen, a popular plant-based restaurant in San Francisco. Like Lira, Chikyū has faced an uphill battle letting people know it’s here.

“It’s not easy to get the word out right now,” Trenor says. “The news cycles are dominated by the health crisis and other important issues. We’re just a little business, so it’s a challenge to make a splash. That said, we’ve been incredibly humbled by the outpouring of support we have already received by the local vegan community.”

Another challenge for Chikyū: showing customers its artful plating and food design, which doesn’t translate as well in to-go containers. “Chikyū is meant to be an elegant, thoughtful dining experience,” Trenor says. “We want you to join us not only when you want a delicious, healthy meal, but also when you want to celebrate a special occasion. We are very excited to share that part of our model with our customers.”

Johnny Church, a Strip veteran and Chopped winner, is a beloved figure on the local culinary scene. Johnny C’s Diner (8175 Arville St.) had been in the works for months, and Church signed a lease two weeks before the shutdown. Not to be deterred, he took the extra time to fine-tune the details of the breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, which pays homage to his Midwestern roots using the best ingredients he can find, including produce from his home garden.

“It took a month or so to be like, ‘OK, what am I gonna do? How long is this all gonna last?’” Church says “[Then] I just shifted to, well, I’ll just open to-go, because I figured by around this time they would be lifting [restrictions] to at least get some sort of dining going on in the restaurant. So it was a good time to just work out recipes [and] train staff.”

Cousins New York Pizza & Pasta (Courtesy)

Johnny C’s dining room, which opened on May 15, seats about 60, with additional patio seating. For his new spot, Church actually sees the 50 percent capacity reduction guideline as a good thing—for now. “Normally, when you would do an opening, you don’t want to let the floodgates open anyway. So I think that’s a silver lining,” he says.

Jared Weiss and Mitchell Kane, cousins and business partners who opened Cousins New York Pizza & Pasta (9773 W. Flamingo Road) on May 5, found that bad timing can lead to a greater purpose. During their grand opening week, they delivered 1,000 free pizzas to frontline workers in a show of support and gratitude.

“We just kept with the plan,” Weiss says. “And as longtime Las Vegans, we figured at minimum we could help our community. So that’s when we decided to help out hospitals, first responders and locals in the community who are in need.”

These aren’t easy times for restaurateurs, whether they’ve been in business 30 years or three weeks. One thing they do have here is a food-loving community eager to support them whenever they open their doors. “Vegas is a small big town,” Church says. “I know everybody rallies for each other.”

Tags: Dining, Food
Share
Photo of Genevie Durano

Genevie Durano

Get more Genevie Durano
Top of Story