The pandemic continues to serve one gut-punch after the other — with today's closing of the over 61-year-old Millbrae Pancake House being one of the more recent blows.
Restaurants and bars have been dealt an almost insurmountable array of obstacles over the past eight months. With indoor seating shuttered again and cooler weather now dampening the experience of al fresco dining, it's harder than ever for local eateries to get out of the red. Alas, one family-owned (and much-beloved) Bay Area pancake house will shutter operations the rest of the year starting Sunday because of COVID-19 restrictions spurred by the pandemic.
Millbrae Pancake House — which has been open every day for over 60 years, with the exception of being closed on Christmas Day, and has served some 200,000 meals annualy — announced Friday it will temporarily close after Sunday's service, according to NBC Bay Area. Even amid earlier, more strict COVID-19 restrictions, the famed domicile of buttery carbs and viscous syrups remained open.
However, with such a small seating area already inside, its reduced-capacity dining area proved too anemic to carry on; Millbrae Pancake House had also pushed online orders and opened outdoor seating over COVID-19 restrictions.
"Closing this landmark business for any period of time will certainly cause much heartache and sadness in the community," writes the pancake restaurant in a statement on its website — before mentioning that its staff will be the most “[impacted]" by the closure.
(It's also worth mentioning that not a single case of the novel respiratory disease has been recorded at the establishment.)
"However, the most significant impact will certainly be the 44 employees of Millbrae Pancake House who face layoffs at this time," the statement continues. "The most senior member of the staff has been employed at the restaurant for over 53 years."
Thankfully, Millbrae Pancake House noted that this is, in fact, a temporary closer — and it plans to reopen sometime in 2021.
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Image: Instagram via millbrae_pancake_house
