Normally bustling boulevards like Ponce de Leon Avenue practically were empty from late March through April, as people hunkered down to evade the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. Now that businesses have been cleared to reopen, traffic is picking up, and diners are heading to restaurants, particularly those with outdoor eating areas.
One patio not seating patrons is Mexican restaurant El Ponce in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland neighborhood. Owners Jarina Naone and Rosa Thurnher don’t think it’s safe, especially for their employees.
“Rosa and I feel a huge sense of responsibility toward our employees,” Naone said. “Our philosophy: If we wouldn’t put ourselves in that position, we would not put others in that position.”
They set up online ordering, offering regular lunch and dinner menu items, as well as a special section called Quarantine Provisions that features oven-ready single-portion and family-size meals.
The takeout model has been successful enough, but now that numerous restaurants have reopened for on-premises dining, Naone and Thurnher said they’ve noticed a drop in carryout orders.
Problems at El Ponce are only half their predicament. Naone and Thurnher also own El Bar, the bar and dance club in the building’s rear lower level that has been shut since mid-March. There are no immediate plans to reopen the space.
Thurnher called it a “dance dive club.”
“The things that made it fun — sweating — are not happening,” she said. “I don’t see how people can come in and have a good time and let loose.
“The future of El Bar as it was is currently a question mark,” she continued.
The day I picked up my to-go order from El Ponce, Thurnher and Naone pointed to the new wood fence they were building. It was the first step toward a makeshift back patio with a tight menu of Mexican fare and a cocktail program that culls from Naone’s years of bar experience.
It’s another move being made out of necessity, Thurnher said, but “it’s an opportunity to do something we’ve always want to do.”
They hope to debut the space in July.
The women find it ironic that they’re now working to save El Bar, because, when they took over El Ponce in 2016, it was the El Bar revenue that kept El Ponce alive.
“Without the restaurant we wouldn’t be surviving this right now,” Thurnher said. “And, without the bar, we wouldn’t have been able to take over the restaurant.”
“Everyone has a different situation in this town,” Naone said of the pandemic’s impact on bar and club owners.
But, she said, “I’m sure everyone could use a good dance session right now.”
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EL PONCE
Menu: burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, tamales, tortas and other Tex-Mex and Oaxacan favorites
What's new: oven-ready single-portion and family meals; frozen posole, tamales and empanadas; taco and nacho kits
Alcohol: batched margaritas, daiquiris and sangria, cocktail kits, beer
What I ordered: a baker's dozen frozen tamales; oven-ready beef enchiladas, with guajillo sauce, for four; pint of frozen pozole; pint of escabeche (pickled vegetables). The Oaxacan-style tamales were tightly wrapped in banana leaves, frozen and packed in a zip-close bag. Tamale options include pork, chicken or mushroom-poblano. The veggie version was outstanding. All tamales came with salsa verde. A take-and-reheat tray of enchiladas was filled with 10 enchiladas. You can have them stuffed with your choice of chicken, beef, cheese or, for an upcharge, Impossible beef. You can choose your enchilada sauce (make it the spicy guajillo sauce). An order also comes with a family-size portion of beans (refried or black) and rice (Mexican or lime-cilantro). Tamales and enchiladas both come with heating instructions. The posole was laden with ample hominy and shredded chicken. Escabeche was addictive. All orders came with chips and house salsa.
Service options: to-go sales only; order on website, walk-up also available; no phone orders; line up with social distancing for ordering and pickup; delivery within 5 miles of restaurant via DoorDash
Safety protocols: following CDC guidelines; staff wears masks and gloves; pickup table set up on patio; patrons not allowed inside
Address, phone: 939 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta; 404-881-6040
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily
Website:elponce.com
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