‘Very emotional.’ Owner of Macon restaurant speaks out about closing because of COVID

Ryan Tucker started bussing tables at a Stevi B’s pizza buffet when he was a teenager, working his way up and moving to different locations until he owned one of his own in Macon.

So, it’s not surprising that it was with “a heavy heart” that the 35-year-old Tucker closed the Macon restaurant a week ago Sunday.

“This is a big page turner for me,” Tucker said. “It’s very emotional also. I definitely would have loved to stay open.”

Tucker said the closure boils down to the economic climate created by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“Since we were a buffet, it was very difficult to get everything going to take out and then trying to do dine in without the buffet, those things were very difficult to achieve,” Tucker said. “And then ... when we got the the buffet back, it was very difficult running costs.

“We have to put so much out there to be the buffet. But with sales being so low and out of the ordinary from the past years, and it being in the COVID economic climate, we just couldn’t run those costs well. So those costs were really high.”

Tucker received assistance from the government with a Paycheck Protection Program loan, but he said it wasn’t enough to turn things around.

“But with that only being used probably for about three months and using that during extremely slow times and then going into still a slower climate ... it just become too much money. It wasn’t feasible to run a business like that ... I was trying to help everyone else out: landlord, employees, trying to pay bills and ... I have yet to make any money.

“That’s why we closed.”

Tucker took ownership of the restaurant at 175 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd., Suite B, with a partner in 2013 and then became its sole owner the following year. He wasn’t sure on the date but thinks the original owners opened shop in either 2006 or 2008.

Bussing tables since 16

His first job was at a Stevi B’s in Hiram.

“I was a bus boy,” Tucker said. “I worked my way up to management then further to general manager and then I eventually was invited into a partnership with an owner to run his stores and then I eventually bought him out and owned the store.

“Since I was 16, I’ve been bussing tables, making pizzas, doing pizza tours for kids, having those elementary spirit nights come in, hosting birthday parties, running around Saturdays trying to keep everybody fed and happy.”

Other than “a little blimp, two-month thing — it was a transition from one store to another,” Tucker has been with Stevi B’s his entire career.

As a franchise, Tucker was able to stay open as an independent owner when Stevi B’s quietly closed its corporate restaurants in the spring, he said.

When Tucker first took over the Macon store, he was there all the time — living close by. He and his wife, Brittany, moved around a bit, trying different locations before settling in the Atlanta area. His commute to Macon was about an hour and 10 minutes.

“The past couple of years I came down probably three times a week. Before that I was hands on. We started a family so I was trying to get as many capable managers in there to help me run the store,” Tucker said.

They have two boys: 2-year-old Oliver and 7-month-old Jasper. His wife works in dental administration.

“I do have another business idea,” Tucker said. “I’m partially in it already. I will have to eventually go get a 9 to 5 job because that’s more of a side hustle.”

Kona Ice of Smyrna, a franchise, is a seasonal company, he said.

“I’ve always used it as a side hustle. It’s the same concept. We’re here to serve families, mainly kids. Instead of serving pizza to smiling kids, we serve snow cones to smiling kids,” Tucker said.

The food truck is based in the Atlanta area.

“Mostly, we cater to fundraising events for rec sports, schools and then big festivals. That’s probably the majority of our business,” he said. “Stevi B’s has always been first ...

“So when I say side hustle, it’s just a job that supports additional income but not your full income. Us men have a lot of side hustles: the guys who do lawn care on the weekends, doing the Uber drives to pay some bills. Those are our side hustles.”

Saying goodbye

Tucker said he’s grateful for the hard work of his Stevi B’s employees and thankful for the outpouring of well wishes from the community since he announced the restaurant’s closure on Facebook.

Among those well wishers was Michelle Murray Bridgeman.

“My preschool classes have loved our field trips over the years,” she posted on Facebook in response to Tucker’s announcement. “Sad to see y’all go. Blessings for all the employees.”

Margie Sheffield was also among the more than 270 people who posted a response on Facebook.

“Had so many fun times there with kids and grandkids. Y’all will be greatly missed,” she wrote.

Tucker said he’s not sure what the future holds.

“We’re going to turn this page of life — and maybe kind of forced turn. But, you know, see what’s next for us.”