This restaurant owner is weathering the covid storm with a positive attitude
As a very tall dude, restaurant owner Paul Longo is undoubtedly hard to miss in any packed bar, so it’s no wonder why his restaurants and bars are also larger than life.
I got to meet Paul a while ago and fell in love with his bar + restaurant Ida’s Nearabout in Long Island City, NY. The cocktails were hands down the best I ever had and the food was on-point (The Get in the Ring - Jalapeno infused Tequila, Lime, passionfruit juice, lime, agave). Fortunately, having been in the restaurant business for some time, Paul has more than one local staple throughout NYC that you can visit/order from.
And while the pandemic has casted a dark shadow on so many industries, there’s little doubt that restaurants have taken the hardest hit this year. With many shutdowns leading to closures, confusing restrictions and guidelines, and no one knowing when this is going to end, Paul has taken a positive approach to all of these changes and is sharing his know-how with us below.
SBL: What is the name of your restaurant and where is it?
PL:
Ida's Nearabout (Sunnyside, Queens) - Neighborhood bar & eatery located in the heart of Sunnyside, Queens
Brookside Market (Sunnyside, Queens) - Coffee Shop & Kitchen
Elder Greene (Greenpoint, Brooklyn) - A classic bar in Brooklyn
SBL: What methods of ordering are available right now?
PL: Pick up & all the major delivery services.
SBL: What’s your favorite drink/food on your menu(s)?
PL: I stole a fried chicken sandwich from one of my favorite bars on planet earth in Pulaski, NY called "Altmar Lodge". It's been on every menu since the beginning and is still my favorite. The drinks are always changing cause our beverage directors are nuts, so I like to keep changing it up. They're currently doing a JAJA Mexican coffee that has been my cold weather fav.
SBL: & what’s the most popular?
PL: We have a “shut up and play the hits” ethos across our spots. So you can’t go wrong with a cracking burger and a frosty.
SBL: When did you first open a restaurant/bar? What was that experience like?
PL: I had an epic failure in Williamsburg that was a grueling 2 years. Wrong partners, undercapitalized, classic restaurant story. I tell my team now that’s when I got my masters degree in hospitality getting my ass kicked up and down N7th street. It really helped me realize some of the things I didn’t want in the next project. That was 2014/15, I started again from scratch when we got Ida’s in Jan 2016. The experience of opening a new store is truly my favorite thing to do on earth. It’s completely fucking insane. Every second is a new challenge that seems like if you can’t push through It the entire project is going to come crashing down on top of your head, sometimes It does. But I was blessed with a world class partner and world class team. The problem is that the experience becomes the addiction, at least It did for me. The restaurant/bar business gets inside your blood like a drug, creating a physical world from a blueprint inside my mind and making It a reality, then watching people interact, laugh and love inside my brain, it’s really trippy and rewarding.
SBL: What are some things about starting in the restaurant business that not many people know about?
PL: I think it’s the same as starting any business really, it’s about sacrifice. There are no half measures in hospitality and there’s no magic, everything you see is a product of someone’s blood, sweat and tears. It’s THE service business. We’re open long hours 365 days a year, that’s a lot of time to have things go wrong. Also, humans are just difficult. Everyone wants everything a different way exactly when they want it and if any of that combination is wrong, it’s all your fault and they will find any way they can to shame you. It’s a punishing industry in that way and can be really hard to overcome the criticism sometimes. But yea, it’s the epitome of sacrifice. It’s like climbing Everest, but then you have to set up shop and survive on the summit for a year in a t-shirt. If you’re not willing to legitimately work 70/80 hour weeks and never sleep right and always be waiting for the phone to ring to deal with a server who cut their finger off in the dish washer, this business isn’t for you. That said, there is no better feeling than opening night!
“There are no half measures in hospitality and there’s no magic, everything you see is a product of someone’s blood, sweat and tears.”
SBL: Did you fully lockdown in March/April, or did you have takeout available?
PL: My entire company got Covid just before St. Patrick's day. So we locked everything down until early April, then we started delivery etc.
SBL: Are a lot of people ordering in now?
PL: Our neighborhood have been super supportive from the beginning. A lot of people have been eating at home supporting local for months.
SBL: What shift in your business has been the hardest?
PL: Human interaction. It's the backbone of the service industry. Selling product is great, but that's not really why we love what we do. We miss the people and the stories.
SBL: Has covid changed your perception of the restaurant world?
PL: So much so that it feels like I'm starting over. The whole game has changed, the whole world has changed. I will always love the restaurant world, but I am curious to see what it's future has to offer.
SBL: What tips or words of encouragement do you have for other restaurants?
PL: DO NOT QUIT. Period. This business has always been the most difficult, just don't give up.
SBL: What advice do you want to give to people on how they can support their local restaurants?
PL: Please do it. You may not realize, but small business owners and their teams see everything. We see repeat customers, we see the "Special instructions" sections with notes that say "We miss you!", we see emails asking to expand our delivery map to accommodate people wanting to support. It's what keeps us motivated to continue. So, just know that when it comes to small business, nothing goes overlooked.
SBL: Your favorite small brands?
PL: Big Shanes Ice Cream - Queens, NY
Hands Candles - Los Angeles, CA
