After another round of statewide restrictions on in-person dining were dealt to restaurants, The Country Ham owner Janice Kennedy said she was ready to throw in the towel. However, a series of encouraging acts from her community, along with a number of answered prayers, restored Kennedy’s hope that her restaurant would survive these difficult times.
The Country Ham has served a loyal and consistent clientele for more than 71 years, but the restaurant — located in west Daviess County and known for its southern, home-cooked food — has experienced the same hardships as a number of local restaurants in the area due to the pandemic.
“So many are afraid to get out right now, and I don’t blame them,” Kennedy said, adding that she was forced to let several employees go during the first round of governor-mandated restrictions, and that she’s struggled to re-hire enough employees in the months since.
“Sometimes it’s just so hard to handle all on your own,” she said.
The most recent round of restrictions required restaurants to cease in-person dining again. Upon hearing the news, Kennedy said she told herself, “That’s it, God. I can’t do any more than I’m doing, so I’m giving this to you — all of it.”
Kennedy had her first prayer answered almost immediately. The next morning, her friend Debbie Puckett delivered two cases of to-go containers and a case of to-go cutlery from The Cadillac Restaurant, refusing money for the donated items.
After that, a large crowd of customers made their way to The Country Ham for lunch, telling Kennedy they were there to show their support.
Kennedy said her prayers continued to be answered as a longtime priest and friend of hers showed up to present her with a $1,000 check, which was enough to cover all of the restaurant’s utility costs. Kennedy said she told the priest she believed he’d been sent there by God, and he agreed with her.
“He is retired, so that money came from his personal bank account,” Kennedy said.
Since then, even more things have fallen into place for Kennedy and her staff at The Country Ham. She was able to hire a new cook and a local delivery driver who will begin making deliveries in the near future. The restaurant currently offers to-go service and delivery through GrubHub. Business, she said, has been steady along the way.
“COVID-19 has affected everything and everybody in so many ways. But I’m not one to give up,” Kennedy said. “We are hoping that the community continues to support local businesses during this time. This is when everyone needs to come together and do that, and I think people are.”
The Country Ham is located at 5421 US Hwy. 60 West and is open Wednesday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
