Brandywine Diner hoping to weather new indoor dining restrictions

When Andy Elghawy began planning his gleaming new Delaware diner, almost no one had heard of the coronavirus.

In December 2019, he signed a lease for the property at 303 Rocky Run Parkway in Brandywine Hundred's Brandywine Commons Center.

He spent months gutting the former Famous Dave's site, installing a new kitchen and revamping the enormous dining space.

Even when the pandemic began closing down businesses last March, Elghawy was too far into the process to stop.

"We put a lot of money in here," he said, standing near the doorway which showcases a glass case stocked with more than a dozen varieties of made-in-house fruit and cream pies, cheesecakes topped with glistening strawberries, and layer cakes spread with thick licks of frosting.

Elghawy was hoping the stainless steel, modern diner off Concord Pike would be as successful as the Springfield Diner, his other business at 720 Baltimore Pike in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

Now, he's hoping just to hang on for better days.

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He hired about 65 people and opened the Brandywine Diner on Nov. 16.

But the day after he opened, as COVID-19 cases spiked, Gov. John Carney announced restrictions would be placed on indoor dining at restaurants.

Indoor seating is limited indefinitely. Capacity which had been at 60% has been decreased to no more than 30%. The new restrictions go into effect at 8 a.m. Monday. 

Brandywine Diner, open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight, was designed to seat 235 people. Under the new guidelines, now only about 70 people are allowed inside at any given time, and maybe even less depending on how far away tables are spaced.

Only three or four people will be permitted to grab a seat at the diner's expansive counter.

The upcoming holiday season is usually among the most lucrative for owners of the state's approximately 1,900 eating and drinking establishments.

Not this year.

The coming months will be filled with uncertainty until coronavirus vaccines, now on the horizon, can allow restaurants to welcome the dining out public safely back indoors at full capacity.

"It's been very tough," said Elghawy last week as he looked around the Brandywine Diner dining room that had only a handful of patrons. "It's very hard on restaurant owners." 

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Elghawy has been in the hospitality business for 35 years. He has weathered many storms and wasn't too worried at operating the business at 60% capacity. 

But 30% is a different story. 

"Now, it's like being in business for the first time. Every day is different. You don't know what to expect," he said.

He is keeping his staff but he worries they might not stay because of the lack of business and tips.

Carrie Leishman, CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association, said its organization continues to support action to protect the health of all Delawareans, but it believes there is an unfounded impression that restaurants are part of the problem.

She said restaurant operations should be treated no differently to any other retail establishments.

Jonathan Starkey, deputy chief of staff and head of communications for Gov. Carney, wrote on Twitter on Nov. 17 that the "restrictions aren’t a commentary on restaurant management. It’s the nature of COVID. You have to take your mask off in a restaurant. You sit around [with] others for an extended period of time. Neither is true in retail."

Restaurants have lost almost $900 million since March shutdowns began and shed thousands of workers, Leishman said. She believes the new restrictions will cause the permanent closure of hundreds of restaurants in the state.

While Elghawy was renovating Brandywine Diner, he said curious, potential customers frequently came to the door, asking when the restaurant would open.

It's been much more quiet since his Nov. 16 opening.

"People are afraid and I don't blame them," Elghawy said. "The [limited dining] is something that we can't change. We have to play by the rules. We want life to go back to normal." 

He is looking for ways to keep the business going. The diner is offering takeout and delivery of all of its meals. The menu is available on the Brandywine Diner website, brandywinediner.com.

Patrons also can stop in and buy the diner's homemade desserts or call ahead and order pies and cakes for pickup.

Elghawy has space for outdoor dining, but he decided against it as temperatures cool down.

The diner will be open all day on Thanksgiving. Elghawy isn't yet sure about Christmas day. He said he is taking it day-by-day and hopes to ride it out until dining restrictions are eased or lifted. Elghawy doesn't plan to close.

"We're going to stick it out. I'm going to try as long as I can," he said.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico