VALDOSTA – Lowndes County restaurants are having to shift practices to continue their service to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Chris Manwell and Randy DeCoudres, their focus extends beyond their patrons. The two are also cooking up ways to support their employees. 

Owners of the Manwell-DeCoudres Restaurant Group, the duo operates the Salty Snapper, Woodstack BBQ Tavern and Friends Grille and Bar. 

The Salty Snapper recently closed temporarily and the other two establishments have closed their dining rooms due to COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus. 

Of the 130 staffers employed at all three restaurants, DeCoudres said at least 80 are displaced and not working due to changes caused by the pandemic.  

He and Manwell have decided to provide aid to their employees by serving them and their immediate family members meals daily. Chefs prepare about 50-60 to-go hot dinners, and the pick-up site is Friends. 

DeCoudres depicted the meals served as homestyle comfort food. A past donated dish was a pasta with a tomato sauce, Italian sausage, onions and peppers with Parmesan garlic bread. 

Others have been Chicken Divan and beef stew with white rice.

“We just looked at it as if we can’t give them work, then we can at least feed them,” DeCoudres said. 

He said staff members are appreciative of the effort. 

“Food brings people together, and so, that is the least we can do is offer them a meal,” he said.

But food is not the only benefit employees are receiving. Manwell said the company is providing some financial support. 

DeCoudres said tips from patrons benefit out-of-work employees. 

Manwell said the assistance helps to offset costs the employees may find difficult to meet. 

“Truth of the matter is it was never even a thought that we would not be there for our employees,” he said. “Our employees have been here for quite some time, and as a Christian-based company, we’re required to take care of our family and our family is our employees.”

The teams at all three eateries have received an outpouring of vocal support, Manwell said. 

Companies have reached out to him and DeCoudres to learn how they can sponsor meal donations for restaurant staff. 

“That’s several hundred dollars that they’re stepping up and paying when they’re in the midst of this crisis, too, so we see the outpouring of local support like we could have never possibly imagined,” Manwell said. “The reaction from the employees has been extreme gratitude.”

Chip O’Steen of O’Steen Auto Group was the first to sponsor, DeCoudres said. 2South and a former employee, Jack Vinings, are other sponsors. 

DeCoudres called the community support heartwarming and said it brings about a sense of hope.

The restaurant group has given to multiple charities throughout the years, he said; and so, he feels the community support feels like love being returned.  

“That’s what people tell me,” he said. “They love our restaurants. They love the people in these restaurants and we’re all one big family.”

The restaurant group employees form a family where everyone respects one another and are working with one another between the restaurants, Manwell said. 

“We are required by scripture to provide for our family, and our service team members is part of our family, so we will continue to provide for them because we are obligated by scripture,” he said. 

Support will continue until all establishments reopen, he said.