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By Angela Kurysh
March 4, 2021 (La Mesa) – With COVID-19 health guidelines being mandated, most restaurant owners have been contemplating the future of their businesses and whether they can continue to operate. Restaurant owner Derek “DJ” Mull took risks when deciding to re-invent The Riviera Supper Club in La Mesa during early last April.
“I think we kind of did it backwards, where everybody else was thinking about closing, we ended up quitting our jobs and opening a bar and restaurant at the beginning of the pandemic,” Mull explained.
No one could predict how long this virus would last and how long it would make businesses suffer. Mull and his partners were thinking positively when investing in the re-imaging of the restaurant, however, they did not realize they would not be able to fully open with indoor dining for another 10 months. Mull added, “We knew it was going to be hard and that it wasn't going to be an easy transition, but we definitely didn't assume that it was going to be this long.”
Although they were still operating with curbside pick-up and to-go orders while in the purple tier, not being able to have outdoor dining in January is what took a toll on their restaurant the most. Also lost was a sense of community that’s been a staple for Rivera Supper Club.
“They’re not taking away food, but they're taking away gathering and being able to get together to have a sense of community,” Mull says of pandemic shutdown regulations. “Your server is there to serve you the food and drinks, but they’re also there for therapy.”
Now that outdoor dining is allowed and the Riviera Supper Club has a large, heated outdoor patio, business is back and things are starting to take a turn for the better. Specials like Wing Wednesdays are back featuring .99¢ wings, along with other weekly specials. The steakhouse is taking reservations and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. Riviera Supper Club also has takeout food.
For menu and details, visit: https://www.rivierasupperclub.com/
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