EEDC: Last time we spoke was around June of last year. Now that we’re, hopefully, over the COVID hump, how’s business?

 

Lauren Catterton (LC): So here is what’s interesting: even though our restaurant is at 50% capacity, we are doing pretty much the same numbers that we were doing– obviously, we can’t use 2020 as a comparison– in 2019. The restaurant has been doing really well. And I give a lot of credit to we have such a beautiful and large outdoor dining space. Plus, we used the restaurant grant money to get a marine panel siding that helped us in the chillier months.

 

EEDC: How is the events side?

 

LC: We’ve been doing events every weekend; socially distanced, of course, and at 50% capacity.  Keep in mind that we’re getting half the revenue with the requirements, yet it takes double the manpower to execute. At this point, we’re our booking pace looks very optimistic. The corporate social market and room blocks are picking up nicely.

 

EEDC: Are you experiencing any challenges?

 

LC: One of the biggest challenges we have right now, and I think that there’s probably not a business around that can’t say the same thing, is we just can’t get enough help for what we need to do.  I would say that all of our key employees have come back. Funny enough, even some that left before the pandemic have returned.  But we need more people. If you go on social media, you’ll see that it’s not just restaurants in our community, but everywhere in every organization is looking to hire people.

 

EEDC: What do you attribute that to?

 

LC: I think unemployment benefits are a factor. There are still probably some people that are fearful and have concerns about their safety. But, the biggest thing is finding people that are ready, willing, and able to work. That has been a tough challenge.

 

EEDC: And I bet the Tidewater Inn is a great place to work.

 

LC:  Yeah, it’s a wonderful place to work. If there’s anything that should give comfort to people who want to work here is knowing that this place will last. Also, that we’re not as seasonal as other places; we do weddings throughout the winter. Now, obviously, we’re not as busy as in the spring and fall. Still, our November and December is historically a killer with all the parties. The restaurant is so busy because I feel we’re the hub of celebration in Easton.

 

EEDC: What would you say you learned from all that you went through last year?

 

LC: Obviously, what a fantastic, hard-working team we have and that our company has such amazing ‘bones.’ We have such good directions as an organization. Anyone that works in the hospitality field has to have thick skin. We’re used to working nights, weekends, and holidays. But we experienced a different kind of stress and a different type of hard work last year. We had to reinvent everything: we had to figure out how to check someone in, how to safely clean a guest room, and what products we had to use.

 

We had to learn how to be hospitable without touching and learning to smile with our eyes and getting over our own fears. We didn’t know what this disease was or how and when it was going to end. We learned how to think outside of the box. And it really strengthened us as a team, as an organization. It’s taught us to be adaptable.

 

I also think we developed many new ideas and learned how to work smarter and maximize the hours in the day to get the most done. And, and I think we learned to appreciate what we had before.

 

EEDC: We all learned something.

 

LC: I remember being outside in July last year and seeing people walking around and on bicycles, and realized how the recreational tourism market was booming. We used to partner with Easton Cycle & Sports, and they didn’t have any bikes for us to use. Some industries have benefited from all of this, and we, as a society, probably adopted a lot healthier lifestyle not only through better sanitation but also by getting outside, walking and exercising more because that was our social outlet.

 

EEDC Going back to last year: Tidewater had just opened the spa and Tidewater House, the event space across the street.  How are they doing?

 

LC:  The spa is open, up and running, and doing well. I think if we had more massage therapists, we could even extend our hours a bit more.

 

The Tidewater house is, is really doing well; it was a lifesaver. Guests that wanted to have a getaway, but didn’t really feel comfortable being in a bigger hotel, have really enjoyed their stay and their experience there.

 

The family of our wedding couples loved renting the house for the weekend and hosting rehearsal dinners in the carriage house. More recently, we’ve been getting families renting all the rooms in the house, just to spend time with their families. We’ve had corporate groups taking the rooms in the house for a week because they’re they have VIPs that are doing business in the area, and they want to give them a different kind of experience.

 

EEDC What’s happening at the Tidewater that we should look out for?

 

LC: Looking ahead, our focus is on driving midweek business and enhancing our guests’ experience.  Obviously, the town is such a blessing to us and such a huge attraction.

 

We met with you (EEDC) to see what will be taking place in downtown Easton because we package and market accordingly. I spoke to Suzy Moore from the Avalon, and it looks like we’re going to do a few outdoor concerts in the street this year.

 

EEDC: And we’re thinking about having outdoor music on the weekend, as well.

 

LC: Exactly! There’s also the possibility of full-time carriage rides in the downtown area, which I think that’s going to be amazing. Something that will attract visitors.

 

EEDC: I’m curious, who are these visitors coming to Easton and to the Tidewater Inn?

 

LC: The guests we are seeing are here for leisure and not to attend an event or anything like before; they’re here just to get away. I ask where they’re from and how long it’s been since they’ve been away. They tell me: “We live in New Jersey, and we used to come to the Eastern Shore all the time. We haven’t felt safe going on a plane, but we didn’t mind taking a drive.” Or “We’re from Philadelphia, and we just got vaccinated.” I think it’s really reassuring for our tourism market to hear people saying that: “Okay, now that I’m vaccinated, I’m ready to start taking some short trips and getting out again.”