Mobile settled into an unfamiliar quiet last week as residents adjusted to life under the statewide effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, trading crowded restaurants and packed school hallways for long walks, empty parking lots and a lot of time at home. But even with public life on pause, the small moments that make up daily life around the city kept happening, from late-night strolls to acts of kindness that offered a bright spot in an otherwise difficult stretch.
One of those moments unfolded on a recent Saturday night at the Murphy High School track, where a lone walker got some fresh air and exercise while keeping well clear of anyone else, in keeping with the social distancing guidance public health officials have urged residents to follow. Headphones in and clearly enjoying the music, the walker broke into an impromptu air guitar solo partway through the loop, a small, funny scene that a few neighbors happened to catch and couldn’t help but smile about. It was the kind of lighthearted moment residents said they needed as the reality of the outbreak settled in around them.
Not every neighborhood story from the past couple of weeks has been so charming. Along Springhill Avenue and in pockets throughout Mobile, residents have long complained about litter tossed from car windows, but neighbors say they have noticed a troubling new addition to the usual roadside debris: discarded disposable gloves. With protective gloves increasingly common as shoppers and workers try to guard against the virus, sanitation-minded residents are asking people to dispose of used gloves properly rather than tossing them out along city streets, noting that used personal protective equipment left in parking lots and roadways poses its own health concerns beyond the usual litter problem.
Meanwhile, the pandemic’s economic toll has already reached Mobile’s restaurant scene. David Rasp, who owns both locations of Heroes Sports Bar and Grille along with The Royal Scam, announced that he would be temporarily closing all three restaurants because of the outbreak, joining restaurant owners across the region grappling with how to keep staff and customers safe while facing a sudden loss of business. The closures leave servers, cooks and other restaurant workers throughout the area without steady income during an already difficult time, a hardship echoed at restaurants and small businesses across Mobile County as owners try to navigate an uncertain few months ahead.
Amid that tough news, Rasp received a letter that he said brightened an otherwise rough week. Jennifer Tschudy’s seventh-grade language arts class at Grand Bay Middle School had been working on persuasive writing, and students were assigned to make the case for their pick of the area’s best restaurant. One student’s essay championing Heroes USA impressed the class enough to be chosen as the winning submission, and the student’s family shared it with Rasp.
The essay praised the food in vivid detail, calling the wings “so hot and fresh” and noting that the kitchen would always fix an order that wasn’t quite right. But it was the writer’s memories of the restaurant that stood out most, including a recollection of the last conversation the student had with a grandfather there. The student also complimented the waitstaff, comparing their patience and warmth to Santa Claus and thanking them for looking out for customers with allergies or particular tastes.
Rasp said the letter was a welcome reminder of why local restaurants matter to the community beyond just the food, serving as gathering places for first dates, birthdays, family celebrations and quiet, memorable conversations. Community members have echoed that sentiment in recent days, encouraging neighbors to support local restaurant workers and owners however they can while dining rooms sit empty.
As Mobile residents continue adjusting to social distancing and the closures rippling through the local economy, small gestures like the middle schooler’s essay have offered a bit of levity and connection during a stressful stretch for the community. Local business owners and residents alike say they are hopeful that Mobile’s restaurants and the people who keep them running will bounce back once the outbreak eases.