Decades-Old Restaurant Howard's Tavern Receives Needed Funds To Survive Pandemic From The Barstool Fund
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
WEST VIEW (KDKA) -- It's been almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation in full force, and restaurants are struggling.
Howard's Tavern in West View is no exception.
The restaurant has been in the family for three generations and first opened in 1962.
Derek and Rachel Bovill along with Jennifer Gronsky run it now.
They told KDKA once the pandemic hit, they weren't sure if they could keep the business going but vowed to their parents and grandparents they would do everything to keep the legacy alive.
"It's been rough. It's been real rough," Derek Bovill said. "I started working a second job just to try and make ends meet right now."
Then on Friday, they got the phone call they'd been hoping for.
The call to Howard's Tavern. Thanks again to @PNGamingInc for their donation to help save small PA businesses. #BarstoolFund pic.twitter.com/rdfbwysVj1
— The Barstool Fund (@BarstoolFund) February 26, 2021
"It's a generational business, so the exact type of place we're looking to help, just make sure you've just got the funds to get through this thing until they go back to normal," said a representative from The Barstool Fund, a small business COVID-19 relief organization.
Rachel says her husband, Derek, who is in the video, applied for it without them knowing.
The funds they get from The Barstool Fund will now help them cover rent, payroll and bills.