ANNANDALE, Va. — Businesses around the DMV are doing their best to figure out how to navigate our new normal.
Restaurants are no longer allowing customers to dine in. There’s minimal, to no contact with customers, and some business are operating solely online.
Big Bite Pizza is doing their part to help first responders and business owners around them. WUSA9 spoke with the new generation of Big Bite, the three cousins have so much enthusiasm despite all that’s happening around them.
They said their goal is to focus on what they’re good at.
"We were thinking, 'How can we help the community?' And honestly, we can't go to the hospital and help, because we don't know what we're doing in the hospitals. So, we decide that we’ll do what we do well. We do know how to make pizzas," Elias Bitar said.
Paul Jamil, Elias Bitar, and John Philippe are all cousins. Their aunts, uncles and parents all started this business more than three decades ago.
"This is the first time in 33 years that this place had to close down," Jamil said.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on March 30 issued a stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
Big Bites closed temporarily for deep cleaning. But now they’re back in business feeding those who need a hot meal.
"I know a lot of people are going through a financial crisis right now, so we're not charging for the front liners, such as nurses, doctors, police, USPS, all these front liners," Bitar said.
It’s a small financial sacrifice.
"Even if we're breaking even. At least, a lot of businesses out there --they're not doing so good -- so, we're thankful to God that we are doing OK," Bitar said
There's no clear time table when we’ll return to whatever our new normal will become. In the meantime, these three and their team will do what they do best, feed anyone they can.
"Two months can go by in the blink of an eye," Bitar said.
The cousins also said they’re still serving customers as well, but they’re only accepting credit and debit card payments.
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