LAGRANGE, Ky. — The height of the COVID-19 pandemic forced nearly 18% of Kentucky businesses to close at least temporarily, one of them being One Nineteen West Main in downtown LaGrange.
What You Need To Know
- COVID-19 impacted Kentucky businesses and service industry workers in a big way
- Lisa Fields, server at One Nineteen West Main, has returned to work after previously being on unemployment benefits when the restaurant closed
- The pandemic forced nearly 18% of Kentucky businesses to close at least temporarily
- Labor Cabinet officials said the state still has 84,000 unresolved claims dating back to the beginning of the pandemic
When you walk into One Nineteen West Main, you’ll most likely be greeted by Lisa Fields, a long-time server at the restaurant.
“I have worked here for 5, maybe 6 years. I came here because the food was delicious. I knew I wouldn't be embarrassed bringing the food out honestly,” Fields said.
All of that changed when the pandemic forced the 10 year business to close their doors and pivot to carry-out only operations.
“We didn't know if we were going to make it from day to day," said Jason Kinser, owner of One Nineteen West Main. "It made it tough to sleep at night worrying about what's going to happen with my restaurant that I've built from scratch and also my family of employees that have been working here and counting on the income."
That's when Fields ultimately decided to take her unemployment benefits and give up her shifts to coworkers who needed them more.
“I didn't know how long it was going to last. I knew that I didn't have to have this job to eat or to keep a roof over my head but still at the same time, there were people who needed the job more than me,” Fields said.
For nearly a year, Fields was learning how to adjust to not having a job. But the bigger adjustment here lately was her return back to work.
“I have never before tried to make people feel comfortable and how we sanitize stuff,” Fields said. “Obviously you just assume that a restaurant is clean when you go in it but we really needed to enforce that we have hand sanitizer, that we were disinfecting.”
Fields said she has no regrets coming back to work
“This is something I enjoy and I'm glad I can do it and I’m glad people are still coming in and that's why I came back and that's why I'll keep coming back,” Fields said.
As of Oct. 28, 2021, Labor Cabinet officials said the state still has 84,000 unresolved claims dating back to the beginning of the pandemic.