Why Our Team Got Vaccinated

I’ve been called everything from “Crazy Covid Lady” to “Hall Pass Monitor” this last 18 months. Many of you know that many of our staff were touched by COVID very early in the pandemic. Some lost loved ones and grief followed us for months. We have taken your safety as seriously as our own - we have yet to reopen our dining room and are just now discussing what that will look like in 2021. Despite our best efforts, we had two team members test positive last month, just as vaccines were rolling out. I was, well, pissed. I don’t have to tell you how hard this has been on hospitality. Last week, after the efforts of Scott Shaw, both teams at Stomping Ground and Bagel Uprising walked over to the former Charlies On The Avenue space to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine together - as a family. Collectively, we took Thursday off to recover from the usually inevitable side effects it would have on the staff. To say that this is a relief would be an incredible understatement - it feels like a literal weight off my shoulders knowing that my team is now protected from COVID-19. For the first time, I feel hope. I feel like I can breathe (safely behind my mask, but a deep, full breath). Thank you to all of our customers who have supported us and been patient through all of this. I hope you will continue to do so as restaurants and staff start the long, arduous journey of bringing our businesses back to whatever version of the future looks like.   

If you haven’t already, please register to get the vaccine through the Virginia Department of Health.