Grappling with the challenging economy, The Eye Opener owner Liz Keener has decided to close her West Akron restaurant two days a week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, to conserve food and payroll costs.
The breakfast and lunch restaurant had been open seven days a week since its inception in 2010. The Eye Opener’s new days and hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Keener announced the decision on Facebook June 14.
“Payroll is up and business is down for everybody” since the pandemic, Keener explained by phone June 15. “You don’t want to get further into debt so you gotta learn how to trim your sails.”
Keener said she went into debt with her business for the first time in the last 1½ years, when she had to use her line of credit. The Eye Opener has been running on tighter margins than ever, with monthly income for May falling 26% from May 2024 to May 2026.
At the restaurant June 17, Keener said business had been slowest on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the restaurant not making money those days. All of her staff of about 20 is staying on, committed to keeping the restaurant running five days a week with conserved hours, the restaurateur said.
Before the pandemic, lines used to be out the door on weekends at The Eye Opener, located at 1688 W. Market St.
“Fewer people are eating out and I don’t blame them,” Keener said. “We all know costs are up, right? Grocery stores are up, gasoline is up. This is a local, neighborhood restaurant and we have middle-class families. We have people of all sorts that come in here and they have decisions to make about how they spend their money.
“They want to do things with their family, maybe want to take a vacation, and there’s not enough money for all of it. There just isn’t. And I think that is a direct link to the chaos that has happened since Trump was elected. And this war, then, I think exacerbated the situation,” she said.
Now, Keener, who lost her husband, Peter Ellis, last June, questions when she will retire from the restaurant.
“When you’ve been whole the entire time and then find yourself in a hole with this economy sort of spiraling downward, I’d always sort of planned on 65, 70 (to retire), but if I can right the ship, that’ll be the plan,” said Keener, who will be 63 in July.
Closing the restaurant two days a week for the first time has meant changing service delivery days. A couple people who didn’t see Keener’s announcement June 14 on Facebook also showed up wondering why the restaurant was closed the next day, but customers have been supportive, she said.
“In Europe, many small businesses do just this … close on strategic days of the week and open for the busiest ones. Small business owners, in my opinion, also need a break! My best wishes for your continued success!” Eileen Connor said on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Leonard and Michele Jones of Akron, regulars who were used to eating breakfast at The Eye Opener daily over the last two years, are two of those supporters. Prices have gone up everywhere, the couple said, but that hasn’t stopped them from frequenting The Eye Opener.
“We love this place,” Michele said.
Other Akron restaurants have struggled to remain open recently. In April, The Lockview downtown reached out to the community for help keeping its doors open.
Owner Danny Basone said on the restaurant’s GoFundMe page that “the last year has been a financial disaster for The Lockview,” citing a 20% rise in costs to run the restaurant. The GoFundMe, whose original goal of $10,000 was raised to $18,000, was created to help the restaurant pay its overdue taxes.
Vasili’s Greek Cuisine in Akron’s Merriman Valley also announced a GoFundMe page on Facebook June 9, citing a need to raise $6,000 to keep the business open.
“To say we are hanging on by a thread is an absolute understatement,” the post said, explaining that funds were needed to keep the power on, keep the restaurant’s few employees, pay rent that had gone up and fix a walk-in cooler that was on its last leg.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Eye Opener eatery cuts back to 5 days amid economic difficulties
Reporting by Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
