Coronavirus closes indoor dining again. How will Stanislaus County restaurants adapt?
Al fresco dining is having its moment in Modesto and the Central Valley.
With restaurant dining rooms closed again across Stanislaus County because of the continued spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, businesses have gotten creative on how to maximize their outside seating. That means taking over parts of sidewalks, parking spaces and more.
Inside operations at restaurant, bars, wineries and family entertainment venues, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcades, were abruptly shut down Wednesday for at least three weeks in 19 California counties, including Stanislaus. The news came during the lunch rush as Gov. Gavin Newsom gave his regular briefings about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In downtown Modesto, fine dining restaurant Tresetti’s responded to the the governor’s shutdown order by quickly placing additional seating on the sidewalk, across from its existing fenced off patio. The new white-tablecloth service adds about another close to a dozen seats, which are cordoned off by retractable stanchions.
Nearby, on Ninth Street, Bauer’s Downtown Gastropub added seating under its covering parking pass-through and in front of the restaurant. Chef and owner Tye Bauer said they plan to expand the outside options soon from the current 25 seats available. And across Facebook restaurants immediately began touting their outdoor seating options.
The rush to create outdoor seating locally is a move supported by Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold, who sent a memo to City Manager Joe Lopez on Wednesday night asking for the city to put together a policy to allow outdoor dining and even street closures ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. City officials were not immediately available for comment because they were attending a City Council workshop.
But Brandvold said in an interview that he believes the city can have something in place to allow outdoor dining in time for the holiday weekend, adding it may not be enough time for a policy on street closures to help restaurants.
“I was looking for something we can get out there for the restaurants,” he said. “I think we can just put this out there. ... I want to get this out there to help them keep operating.”
Turlock owner finds solution, stays ‘positive’
Turlock restaurants are also taking advantage of their outside options. Yelena Tysmbal had diners inside her Turlock restaurant Loza Wine & Crepes when she read the state was shutting down indoor dining again in Stanislaus County. But instead of transitioning just to takeout and delivery like the first shutdown, she will keep her outside patio open for dining.
“We’re going to stay positive,” she said. “We stayed positive the last time around, and the community was so supportive. We’re taking it day by day. You either sit still and do nothing or keep going.”
Still, some places with more limited outdoor space are hoping their takeout and delivery orders will pick up the slack now that inside dining is forbidden again. Fellow Turlock restaurateur Jo Sisemore will switch his dining to outdoor seating only, but he only has space for eight customers so he isn’t expecting much revenue from the tables.
His restaurant Pho Americana had just resumed dine-in service Monday. They spent four days last week training staff to clean, but then were only able to complete two days of in-restaurant service before shutting down again.
“Going back to the delivery platforms and takeout is going to be a hit to our bottom line for sure,” Sisemore said.
At Vintage Faire Mall in north Modesto, Buckhorn BBQ owner Rich Loudermilk has about 24 available patio seats. He plans to ask mall management to allow him to add more tables in a common area near the restaurant.
While Buckhorn BBQ staff have followed safety guidelines from the MoRestaurant Certified program since reopening dine-in on June 1, Loudermilk said he understands how a spike in coronavirus cases serves as a warning.
“It’s pretty disappointing for restaurants just getting back on our feet,” said Rich Loudermilk, owner of Buckhorn BBQ in Modesto. “Now we’re taking another big hit, but there’s not much you can do about it.”
Contentment in Modesto makes adjustments
Also in Modesto near the junior college, Contentment Brewing Company’s Alejandro Serrato, who owns the brewery taproom with wife Abena Darden, had planned to add hours and switch to digital menus for its inside service. They even were looking into hiring some more staff. With the new order there was initial confusion about whether they’d be allowed to continue their outdoor seating in the business’s gated parking lot.
But information posted by Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan on the county’s coronavirus page clarified that “all brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs must close both indoor and outdoor services immediately.”
So instead the brewery will go back to filling growlers as its small staff has for the first three months of the coronavirus shutdowns. Still, with all the changes, Serrato said he understands why the state made the call to reclose inside dining. And hopes the loyal customers who supported the business through its its first seating closure will continue through the second.
“We are on the side of caution with all of that. My wife and I feel like it’s warranted. Yeah, it’s an inconvenience, but I am like OK with the powers that be making a call and us following it,” he said. “We have been fortunate to have the support of the community. Modesto has been really good to us. Through all the ups and downs we keep seeing the familiar faces and they’ve really helped us out.”
Modesto Bee staff writers Kristin Lam and Kevin Valine contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 1:42 PM.
