As Jacob Young sat alone in the empty dining room of his normally packed steakhouse, his granddaughter Halie Frankum captured this image. With his head on his hand, he pored over paperwork; his forlorn look tugged at her heart.
“Gosh Pappa…Rip my heart out why don’t ya,” she wrote.
Halie posted the picture on Facebook explaining “I haven’t seen my sweet Pappa sit in this room of his restaurant in at least 10 years.”
Anyone familiar with Ribeyes Steakhouse in Cornelia knows how tough it can be to find an open table, especially on a Saturday night. But not on this Saturday. Not on this night. In the midst of this pandemic.
Restaurant dining rooms are closed. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat. It’s never been like this in the fourteen years Young’s been in business.
The Army Reservist and his wife Lynetta opened their first restaurant Dock of the Bay in Panama City Beach, Florida. Two years later, they moved to Habersham County, and they’ve been feeding steak and seafood lovers here ever since.
“It’s never empty. It’s always booming busy on a Saturday evening,” Halie writes. “He is typically cutting up steaks faster than the demand allows.” In a desperate plea, she adds, “Hurry up Covid 19 and go away, the small business(es) are hurting.”
Ribeyes now offers curbside delivery. Their menu is listed on Facebook. To schedule a pickup, call 706-776-6186.
