Beloved Players Retreat bar now open, thanks to an aggressive COVID-19 testing plan
The first Bernie Burger in months was served up at the Players Retreat in Raleigh this week, and perhaps no one was as surprised as owner Gus Gusler.
The venerable Players Retreat is as beloved a bar as exists anywhere, but in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its doors and kitchen have been closed since March. Gusler planned to keep those doors closed until a coronavirus vaccine is widely available, which still looks months away.
But Gusler said his safety concerns for operating during a pandemic have been mitigated by implementing an aggressive testing policy at the restaurant for employees.
Each of the PR’s seven employees will be tested every Monday, with results returned before the restaurant opens on Wednesday. Gusler said he has partnered with the Neighborhood Health Center for the testing.
“It’s going to make people feel safer, and I’m all for anything that makes guests and the team feel safer,” Gusler said. “I’m hoping other restaurants are going to do it, but the cost is so much.”
Gusler said he still hasn’t gone out to eat at a restaurant and previously said he wouldn’t put the restaurant’s staff in harm’s way.
“There’s no way you could get me to go to a restaurant anywhere,” Gusler said earlier this year. “I don’t want to make my staff go back into an environment I wouldn’t go into myself.”
Like many restaurant owners, Gusler has had to invest in personal protective equipment, along with the usual goods like potatoes and beef. He said they have a case of N95 masks, but that the dining room will remain closed.
“I haven’t talked to very many people willing to go inside to eat,” Gusler said. “(Testing) may make people feel more comfortable.”
Curbside menu
The curbside PR menu includes many of the favorites, including the Bernie Burger, Mimi’s Sausage Dip and quarts of chili, served hot or cold. This month, for every quart of chili sold, a quart will be donated to the Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen in Raleigh.
The Players Retreat is reopening just as most restaurants, including many that have been open for months, begin to grapple with the problem of winter. With the cooler temperatures, the refuge of outdoor dining may slip away and pose yet another challenge for the Triangle’s proud but struggling restaurant industry.
“I think it’s going to be tough right now for restaurants,” Gusler said. “They’re losing these outdoor eating areas. Hopefully we’ll see takeout and curbside and delivery going up.”
The Players Retreat, situated off of Hillsborough Street across from the N.C. State campus, is closely tied to the athletic ups and downs of Wolfpack seasons.
The PR is it opening at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, for takeout ahead of the noon clash between N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill, sending a strong signal that even in COVID times, it’s still the PR.
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Beloved Players Retreat bar now open, thanks to an aggressive COVID-19 testing plan."
