MADISON, Wis. — A Madison mainstay is struggling to keep its doors open, emblematic of the issues restaurants are facing all over the state. 

The Old Fashioned has been a staple of the capitol square for almost 15 years. In normal times, you’d walk in to find people of all walks of life, and the smell of cheese curds.Now, you walk into an empty bar, with employees taking to-go orders and serving people outside. 

“The Old Fashioned’s based around the traditions and supper clubs of Wisconsin,” said general manager Jennifer De Bolt. “We’ve got such a great local base and regulars. It’s become our home, and many people’s homes.” 

That home is facing trouble, just like so many bars and restaurants all over Wisconsin. 

“It has probably been the most trying time of our lives,” she said.

De Bolt has had to lay off more than 100 employees, now left with just 24.

“It was one of the hardest days of my life, to be honest with you,” De Bolt said. “I had to lay off a couple people who were with us since the day we started. They've been with us for 15 years.”

“It was very difficult. It still is,” she said. “It still is so, so hard.”

A new survey from the National Restaurant Association shows 33 percent of Wisconsin restaurants could close for good within six months. That’s actually slightly lower than the national average, which was 37 percent. 

“At this point, I'm looking at the next day,” De Bolt said. “We are looking at it day by day, instead of trying to predict what the future is gonna hold.” 

As the Old Fashioned struggles, some of the regulars have been sending De Bolt messages with their favorite memories of the bar. 

“That’s what’s keeping us going," she said. 

De Bolt has started a GoFundMe page to help the bar continue to support its employees as the weather gets colder. A quick scan of GoFundMe shows lots of other Wisconsin restaurants have done the same. 

Wisconsin is one of 34 states that don’t have any loans or grants specifically for bars and restaurants. The House of Representatives’ version of the HEROES Act includes $120 billion for restaurant relief, but the future of the bill is uncertain and constantly changing.