LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When Gov. Andy Beshear lifted COVID-19 restrictions on June 11, bars and restaurants rejoiced at being back to 100% capacity. However, for Wiltshire On Market, that announcement signaled the restaurant in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood could reopen for the first time after 15 months closed due to the pandemic.
What You Need To Know
- When Wiltshire On Market closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, it remained closed for 15 months
- Owner Susan Hershberg decided to keep it closed due to only having eight tables inside and bar seating not allowed
- To pivot, carryout meals were offered at another business location and a food truck was born
- Wiltshire On Market reopened on Thurs., June 17
“One of the things I love about Wiltshire On Market is that it really has a very intimate feeling, like you almost feel like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home,” Wiltshire On Market’s Owner Susan Hershberg told Spectrum News a week after the restaurant had reopened.
Hershberg opened Wiltshire On Market, which serves up dishes that are “a fresh take on modern farm-to-table,” 11 years ago, but like all other restaurants, her restaurant had to close in March 2020 because of the pandemic.
“I was so devastated that I really personally couldn’t even bring myself to come down here,” Hershberg said.
Hershberg thought Wiltshire On Market would be back to serving its customers within five weeks, but that turned into 15 months.
“Because with only eight tables and 16 seats at the bar, and not being able to have bar seating, there really was no way for us to be open until we are at that safe 100% capacity,” Hershberg explained.
The option for takeout was also off the table, so Hershberg focused her efforts elsewhere. Hershberg is also owner of Wiltshire Bakery & Cafe, which is located in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood, so curbside, contactless pickup for meals were done from there.
“And we initiated a program called our 'Weekly Meal Service' where we did fine-dining, restaurant-style meals, a series of three meals every week, and we delivered to people's homes,” Hershberg explained.
Hershberg also owns a catering business called Wiltshire Pantry, which she turned mobile by creating a food truck.
“And for me to be able to see my customers and be able to feed the community again, it was really, really critical,” Hershberg said.
Also critical during the pandemic was Gov. Andy Beshear announcing that COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
“Well, it was definitely the announcement we were waiting for, for a long, long time,” Hershberg said. “We were counting it down.”
Hershberg said the main thing that kept Wiltshire On Market from closing for good was federal funding. She said her business received two rounds of PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) funding, which gave forgivable loans to eligible small businesses.
“We also got some COVID relief money that the governor made available to small restaurants, when there was a second run of shut downs. We had never opened, but still every dollar we were bringing in was going toward payroll, and a lot of weeks and months we didn’t even cover our payroll,” Hershberg explained. “So if it hadn’t been for federal aid, there’s positively no way that any of our locations would be open. We would’ve closed for sure.”
Wiltshire On Market reopened on Thursday, June 17, 2021. It’s a week and night that Hershberg remembered as overwhelming.
“And I was afraid that really I would be too emotional to greet people at the door, but it was so wonderful to see everybody. It was just so very wonderful to see everybody,” Hershberg said.
Hershberg called that night a celebration, which felt like seeing family again after a year and a half.
“We were all kind of nervous that we wouldn’t remember how we were supposed to navigate,” Hershberg told Spectrum News. “The first night we had some hiccups; we had some challenges, but all-in-all by the end of the night, it was like, ‘OK, we’ve got this. We remember how to do this. Yeah, we got it!”
Prior to the pandemic, Aaron Price bartended on Sundays at Wiltshire On Market. During the pandemic, he worked on the food truck. Now, he’s back at Wiltshire On Market as beverage director of the restaurant.
“It was a little switch in gears to come back, but it’s been great. It’s been really good to see all the people. I don’t know, it’s almost like a stress relief, if that makes any sense, to come back to doing what you were doing before,” Price said.
Even though Wiltshire On Market was closed for 15 months, its customers haven’t forgotten about the restaurant.
“We are definitely booking several weeks out, which is something that Wiltshire On Market never really experienced before,” Hershberg said.
Now back open, Hershberg also still remembers Wiltshire On Market.
“I was a little bit afraid that would feel awkward or off, and I have to say it almost feels like we were here the whole time.”
Wiltshire On Market is located at 636 East Market Street Louisville, KY 40202. The restaurant is open Sunday and Thursday 5 — 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 — 10 p.m. For reservations, call 502-589-5224. For more information on Wiltshire On Market and Hershberg’s other culinary businesses, visit their website.