“I’m a jazz musician, too,” says Tomasso Colao,  pizzaiolo and owner of Bivio in Montclair, “so I have to improvise. “  And, improvise is the name of the restaurant game right now. Colao, like many others in the hospitality industry, have modified their business in response to the COVID-19 disruption, evolving in ways never before anticipated. 

Let’s take take-out.  Enthusiasts of Neapolitan pizza - the type turned out at Bivio - generally believe it blasphemy to put  a pie in a box. Period.  And, the pizzaiolo concurs.  “The joy of putting the pizza on that plate and getting it to the table still smoking, that’s real,” says Coloa “once it goes past the door, it's ''no”.

Following Governor Murphy’s March 16 executive order to no longer seat patrons inside restaurants, Bivio was careful, and closed their operation,  not considering the possibility of take-out. But, says Colao, “After some soul searching, I said if we do this, we’re doing this on a small scale, so, let’s try.  I went out to Restaurant Depot and bought some boxes. “ The response says Colao, “was overwhelming.   I had no idea how many we’d need!“ 

Now, Bivio operates on a strictly take-out basis, with a slightly modified menu, staffed by a team of three people: the pizzaiolo himself, a prep worker, and Colao’s wife, Jackie, who manages the Bivio phone order system, taking orders as they come in - constantly!  Bivio can accommodate up to 72 orders a day.  “My wife starts taking the phone orders at 2:30,” Colao says, “and by 4pm, it’s all sold out. “  Turns out, the pies heat up nicely in people’s home ovens.  

While Colao is eager to see his dining room full of familiar patrons, he acknowledges “because we’re a small operation,” says Colao, “we’re in a better position. We could hold on. “  

Other small shops, like The Pie Store, in Montclair, has always been a take-out only business, and are also modifying the business model and experiencing a boom.   A purveyor of traditional British homemade savory and sweet pies, the product is take-out friendly, and made to heat up in the home oven.  Proprietor Samantha Codling, is experiencing “lines down to the train station,” but adds that the “biggest challenge now is doing all the prep,” due to reduced staff.  Codling currently has three people, including herself, and two others operating the kitchen on a round-the-clock, tag- team basis, so there is never more than one person in the kitchen at a time.  

Right next door, at The Pie Store's sister shoppe, The Tea Store, Codling has reinvented the space, essentially morphing it from an eat-in cafe, into a remarkable colorful grocery store offering themed boxes - grill, salad, fruit, Italian - filled with fresh veggies, proteins and carbs, to carry out and enjoy  at home.  Innovative, indeed.  

Mike Carrino and Mike Cosenza, owners of Mike’s Pasta and Sandwich Shoppe in Nutley, a small business dedicated to familiar foods like soups, sandwiches, artisan pasta, and pasta sauce, has seen an uptick in business. To respond to the public need for groceries, they brought in some staple items, like eggs, butter, milk, sugar, flour, and the product quickly sold out.  Carrino and Cosenza intend to double the efforts in the upcoming weeks, bringing in more simple produce like  tomatoes, carrots, celery.  Simple stuff that people can use.  According to Carrino, “people need things that are comfortable right now.”

Is it easier for the little guy to hold on? Generally, rents are lower, the menus are more streamlined, ingredients are easier to source, and the product is simpler to produce.  In these times, staffing is naturally a challenge, one of which Colao, Codling and Carrino all acknowledge is directly tied to how they can best respond to these  new societal demands.  

In the end, perhaps, bigger is not always better? Perhaps keeping it simple, is truly smarter.  It’s certainly more sustainable.  Especially if they have a dedicated, hard-working and innovative captain with some meddle at the helm. 

Please continue to check all social media outlets for updates on available product and hours. 

https://www.facebook.com/The-Pie-Store-193409458920/

@thepiestore

https://www.facebook.com/Bivio-Pizza-Napoletana-135971333150298/

https://www.facebook.com/mikespastasandwichshoppe/