Hammered by coronavirus scare: 7,700 workers face grim reality as South Bend area hotels, restaurants are hit by worries of what's ahead

SOUTH BEND -- Mario Martinez is one of an estimated 7,700 workers in the local hospitality industry, many of whom are suddenly worried about their immediate future.

In less than a week, we’ve gone from a booming economy that made it difficult to find and keep a sufficient number of employees to work in area hotels and restaurants to one that is on the precipice of a virus-induced recession.

In just 24 hours, the Double-Tree by Hilton in downtown South Bend went from the expectation of a weekend crowd to a probable ghost town.

This coming weekend, the DoubleTree was offering overnight specials for revelers who wanted to take part in the Paddy Party & Pub Tour on Friday night and then the St. Patrick’s Parade on Saturday in the downtown area.

Those events were canceled Wednesday night and then Dave Waymire, general manager of the hotel, learned a youth hockey tournament scheduled for this weekend was also canceled, instantly costing the hotel at least 200 overnight room rentals this weekend.

“It would have been an active, crazy weekend,” he said, adding that the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce also canceled a networking luncheon that was scheduled for Thursday at the hotel.

“We just didn’t think it was right to hold a networking event with Mayor Mueller as the guest speaker,” said Rob De-Cleene, executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka. “I’m sure the mayor’s plate is full right now and networking suggests people aren’t going to keep their distance.”

Instead, the food for the event was donated to Cultivate Culinary, a nonprofit that turns donated food into packaged meals sent home with area school kids on weekends.

That was the only good news.

For the employees at the DoubleTree and other hotels and restaurants, the weekend cancellations signaled the start of what could become a grim reality for weeks or even months to come as people curtail travel and events because of concerns about the fast-spreading coronavirus.

“The hospitality industry will be hurt more than any other industry,” said Kurt Janowsky, owner of Navarre Hospitality Group, which owns and manages several area restaurants in addition to catering events throughout the region.