For the past 12 years, the Happy Moose located near the intersection of SR-2 and Reynolds Road has been a destination for sports enthusiasts throughout Lake County. Locally owned and operated, the sports-themed bar & grill has also become a favorite of area athletes including members of the Lake County Captains and visiting teams (who regularly stayed next door at the Holiday Inn). Chances were good that on any given evening you would run into someone you knew…or knew about.
That all changed on March 16th when the State of Ohio mandated the closure of restaurants and bars to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Like many restauranteurs, owner Chris Tsiliandis took the opportunity to make some long-desired improvements to his restaurant.
“We were planning an interior remodel for a few years and we took the time while closed down to try and do as much as we could,” said Tsiliandis, “Not anticipating such a difficult second wave of COVID, we renovated or replaced our floors, walls, restrooms, televisions, railings, doors, painted the outside of the building, and a lot more.”
They also added bar plexiglass dividers, and plexiglass dividers in their family seating section to meet social distancing requirements and promote the health and safety of their customers. Like many area restaurants they also added online ordering as well as a contactless curbside pickup option to bring back customers.
But challenges remain.
“Unfortunately like most restaurants now, we are struggling, and need to put money into the business every week to stay afloat. Sales are down over 40% this year. We have numerous full-time employees that have been with us for over a decade, that depend on our doors being open to feed their families. These are good, hard working people who have become family to us, and we are trying to find a way to keep us all afloat during these dark days.
Tsiliandis remains hopeful but the future is uncertain.
“Hopefully stimulus will be passed very soon by Congress – if not, the restaurant industry will never be the same, and a large portion of independent restaurants will have no choice but to close their doors for good,” adds Tsiliandis.
We thank the Happy Moose for their continued investment in our city and ask that residents do what they can to support our eateries. It’s no secret that shopping and dining is a big deal in the City of Mentor. Over 300 retailers and 170 eateries generate over $1.6 billion in annual sales and employ over 9,500 people in our city.
Download a copy of the newly updated Mentor Visitor Guide which contains information on shopping and dining options in our City.