SAN ANTONIO — Mary Ann Hill is a working machine even through the pandemic.
The San Antonio native started out as a waitress at the Pig Stand on Broadway in 1967. The classic American diner remains the last known Pig Stand location in Texas after 100 years of service across multiple locations in the state.
Hill, now the owner, admits she can’t recall a time when business was hit as hard as a year ago, when the pandemic struck the nation.
“It affected us big just like everyone else. We closed for 10 days in March,” Hill said.
The hiatus of serving up classic dishes led to Hill losing several employees. She gave curbside service a shot, although with little help.
“When we started, it was just me and one cook doing the curbside. That’s how slow it was,” Hill said.
Pre-pandemic, Hill employed 16 people. But only three would return as businesses waded through the phases of reopening.
“At that time, they had already gotten unemployment and things changed," Hill said.
As unemployment benefits rolled in from the state and federal governments, fears of the virus loomed.
“Some were scared because they had underlying conditions and they did not want to become sick and I couldn’t blame them,” Hill said.
The contagion has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Texans of all ages.
No one was immune. The Pig Stand family lost one of its most beloved team members.
“She had worked with me for 42 years. We lost her to COVID,” Hill said.
The $300-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit ends in Texas on June 26. Governor Greg Abbott cited the decline in new coronavirus cases and the need for repairing the economy when announcing the development.
As part of those developments, the Texas Workforce Commission said unemployed individuals no longer will be able to refuse a job out of coronavirus concerns. The policy change aligns with reasoning echoed by Abbott.
Hill and crew are pressing forward, hoping this news paves the path to recruiting reliable and stable employees.
“I’m hoping there’s people out there that want to work in the restaurant business and become a part of our new family,” Hill said.