小红帽直播app

Arizona legislator and restaurant owner forced to adapt in face of COVID-19

Arizona state Rep. Jeff Weninger, who spends much of his time outside of session helping small business owners hurt by COVID-19, knows firsthand how rough the ride has been. 

Rep. Jeff Weninger

Weninger co-owns two restaurant concepts in the Valley and watched revenues take a deep dive when the virus shut down much of the industry in March.聽聽

Suddenly, he was having sleepless nights trying to strategize how to stay open and keep his 60-plus employees on the job. In turn, as an incumbent running for reelection, he had to figure out how to campaign in a pandemic.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been tough to say the least and it鈥檚 been tough for all my fellow small business owners,鈥 said Weninger, who is running for re-election in Legislative District 17, which encompasses much of Chandler, parts of Gilbert and all of Sun Lakes. 鈥淏ut people in small businesses know how to adapt and pivot and make things happen quickly.

鈥淭hat can be an advantage because my business partner and I can make a decision in the morning and can change it in the afternoon. There鈥檚 not the whole bureaucracy.鈥

Keeping loyal workers was critical to survival 

Weninger, who lives in Chandler with his wife and three kids, opened his first restaurant, Dilly鈥檚 Deli, in 1993 with his business partner, Shaun Kelley. It took the two men, their families and friends and 80 hours a week to make it a go.

Today, the original Dilly鈥檚 is still standing. Weninger and Kelley also now own and operate two other Dilly鈥檚 in the Valley and Floridino’s Pizza and Pasta in Chandler. 

A devoted customer base that took close to three decades to build has kept their four eateries standing, he said. 

While profit margins are below pre-COVID levels, not one employee lost their job.  

That was critical for the businesses鈥 survival, he said. Much of his staff consists of longtime, loyal workers. Without them, the operations would surely have suffered. 

鈥淚 know business owners who had no choice but to lay them off and then when they reopened, they had to train new employees,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to be in that situation because we have so many great employees that have been with us for years and years. I didn鈥檛 want them to go out and find new jobs and not come back.鈥

Near the beginning of the pandemic, the two partners also managed to weather a six-day shutdown of Floridino鈥檚 when an employee came down with the virus.   

Technology, devoted customers keep eateries afloat 

Like other restaurants that are hanging on, they had to innovate to adapt their business model.

When the virus closed down indoor dining, they quickly shifted to takeout and curbside pickup. At Floridino鈥檚, they set aside 25 parking spaces for customer pickup, purchased Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and put strict protocols in place for sanitizing.  

When indoor dining was reopened, they were fortunate to have a large banquet room so customers can be socially distanced. Technology also was purchased to make curbside pick-up more efficient. New Point of Sale (POS) electronic tablets have cut down wait staff鈥檚 trips in and out from three to two. 

Now, the majority of customers are in and out in less than five minutes, he said. 

Rep. Jeff Weninger and his family

鈥淲hen COVID goes away, that process is not going away. It鈥檚 going to be a new added revenue. If you can overperform with these new-found customers, then you鈥檙e adding to your customer base long term.鈥 

Campaigning fully masked and social distancing 

Weninger, who first was elected to the Legislature in 2014, also served eight years on the Chandler City Council. 

Campaigning used to mean going door to door and attending indoor rallies. Now, it鈥檚 about literature drops and cautiously approaching potential voters — fully masked and from a distance — in public.   

Champion for education, healthcare, small business, industry 

Through it all, Weninger鈥檚 campaign message has been to grow the state鈥檚 economy with low taxes, limited regulatory red tape and a balanced budget.  

During his years at the Capitol, he has championed access to capital for small businesses, resources for the classroom, teacher pay raises, health insurance for patients with pre-existing conditions, resources for first responders, public safety and much more.  

Honored for work on behalf of business 

Weninger鈥檚 work in the Legislature on behalf of businesses and his constituents has won him numerous awards and honors. 

Last month he received two such honors. He is among 12 state legislators for bringing tech industries — and high paying jobs and innovation — to Arizona by the Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority. 

He also was named one of this year鈥檚 鈥渂usiness champions鈥 by the East Valley 小红帽直播apps of Commerce for supporting the organization and businesses 鈥100 percent鈥 in the 2020 legislative session.     

小红帽直播apps across the state including the Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry are endorsing him for reelection. 

To read more about Weninger鈥檚 legislative accomplishments, visit:

Victoria Harker

Add comment

Subscribe to the Dry Heat

Get updates on the most important news delivered right to your email. Fully personalized options. No SPAM. Unsubscribe anytime.

Let’s Get Social

小红帽直播app wants to connect with you. Follow us, tweet, share, post, comment... however you get social is the perfect way to connect.