OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – It is Monday which means it is time for another Making a Difference Monday segment.
In collaboration with the Fayette County Health Department, New River Health and the Fayette County Chamber, this is where we highlight a nominated local business who is making it work in the pandemic and doing what it takes to keep the community safe.
This week, we are featuring Cafe One Ten in Oak Hill.
Cafe One Ten is a Main Street hub that is used to being full of people with a bustling salad bar and Sunday buffet, but then when the threat of COVID-19 hit, they knew they had to make some changes.
“I think it was four days before the actual announcement came,” owner Don Williams said. “We said, ‘Let’s just go for deliveries and see how that works out,’ so when the announcement came that we could deliver or do carry out, we were ahead of the curve a little bit.”
Because they were ahead of the curve, this is a pandemic success story.
Their curbside and delivery service took off to the point where Williams could keep his full staff on to answer phones and pack orders.
He says although the business model changed, looking at the numbers, everything seemed normal.
“Restaurants have closed. Businesses in general have closed,” Williams said. “I think we were lucky in one sense and we also put a lot of hard work in. I think it paid off.”
But adapting to providing a new service was not just about allowing them to survive. Williams said they’ve seen how it provides comfort and ease to those who don’t want to leave their homes or don’t want to come inside and that’s bigger than just a meal.
“I mean, we realize we’re just food but just try to do that good and try to help the community out, make things a little easier on people and just, you know, people have responded and we’ve gotten to stay in business and thrive,” he said.
If you would like a nominate a local business who is going above and beyond in our community, head over to fayettecounty.com/makingadifference
