Morristown Studio Adapting To Virus Restrictions

BASKING RIDGE, NJ— When Chris Harvey opened Pinot’s Palette just off The Green four years ago, he saw an untapped market.

“I love Morristown," said Harvey, of Morris Plains, "and the layout and feel of the town made it a great location to open."

Harvey and his wife, Emma, a former art teacher, opened Pinot's, a studio that combines art and socializing, and business took off. Then, the Coronavirus struck and Pinot's, classified as an entertainment venue, shut its doors. Suddenly, the normally bustling two-room studio, which held several dozen people on weekends, was empty.

"Our business has a huge social component," said Harvey, "our customers bring food and drinks. We hoped this would blow over quickly because no business can survive having a retail storefront with no revenue coming in."

Harvey said he's fortunate to have a good landlord and loyal customers, but with no relief in sight, the couple began to brainstorm and, seeing how some restaurants were adapting, got an idea. Pinot's began offering to-go art kits, complete with canvas, brushes, paint, and other supplies. When the kits began selling, the couple started offering classes on Zoom and found them to be a hit with customers.

But with Gov. Murphy's recent rollback of public gatherings, returning to the Morristown studio seems a distant possibility. Still, Harvey said that although the pandemic has been devastating, he sees it as something small businesses have no choice but to address quickly and creatively.

"It's economic Darwinism," said Harvey. "Covid opened my eyes to broader horizons in terms of virtual events. This shocked us back into being nimble, because it's adapt or fail.”