PEORIA MAGAZINE March 2022

D I S H A N D D R I N K

T he idea of driving a half-ton pickup truck onto a frozen lake seems impractical and slightly terrifying. Imagine pulling onto that lake and setting up a heater to stay warm, then drilling a hole the size of your hopes and dipping a tiny fishing pole into the cold abyss. Fishing on such thin ice sounds like you might just become fish food. The world of restaurants has always been on thin ice, with a small hope of catching a profit and a bigger hope of creating a memorable experience for everyone involved. When COVID-19 arrived in 2020 and really took off in March of that year, restaurant owners started seeing the ice melt underneath their feet. Many fell through. Two years ago, I was in Nashville helping a famous chef, Sean Brock, open three restaurants. One was a fast, casual spot that could easily pivot to takeout. Two were under construction. As with many restaurants, profits began to be eaten up by third-party THIN ICE TO THRIVING AGAIN Is there a path forward for restaurants? BY JOSHUA LANNING

IN THE KITCHEN. Joshua Lanning practices his craft at SingleThread in northern California, the 3 Michelin-Starred restaurant recently named #37 of The World’s 50 Best. Photo by Heather Lockwood

22 MARCH 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE