When restaurant dining rooms reopen in Stanislaus County, what will they look like?
When restaurant dining rooms do start reopening in Stanislaus County, don’t expect buffet tables and self-serve soda machines to return.
The county still needs to meet state requirements to resume dine-in service amid the coronavirus outbreak, but this week the state put out guidelines for restaurant reopenings.
In initial reviews, some Modesto-area restaurant owners took issue with reopening restrictions while others said rolling with safety measures will increase business.
“Any dine-in table will help our bottom line to pay our bills,” said Jesse Aguilar, owner of Rico’s Pizza in Modesto, Turlock and Los Banos.
Following state guidelines to move tables at least six feet apart will cut his restaurants’ seating capacity in half, Aguilar said, but he is eager to reopen. Aguilar has already met with some of his 60 employees to discuss health concerns, and he said training them on the state’s disinfecting protocols will make dining rooms safer for both workers and customers.
But he said it will be difficult to follow one item on the checklist: prioritizing outdoor seating. His locations don’t have space to add outdoor tables, which can reduce close contact in enclosed environments.
In an effort to help Turlock restaurant owners with space, the Turlock City Council is accepting applications for special temporary outdoor operations permits. Once the state allows Stanislaus County dining rooms to reopen, the permits could allow restaurants to add seating on sidewalks or parking lots. The county must first meet the requirement of zero deaths and no more than 56 new cases over a 14-day period.
Masks for servers and no more soda fountains
For now, local restaurant owners are trying to digest all of the new safety guidelines in the 12-page document and accompanying restaurant checklist that the state released Tuesday. Many of the points emphasized cleaning and hygiene. Others would require some changes to how staff work both in dining rooms and kitchens.
“It will increase the complexity of being able to serve people, but obviously everybody’s safety is the most important thing,” said Kathy Monday, owner of the Squeeze In in Modesto’s Village One. “We’re all just going to do what we have to do do.”
That includes having servers and bussers who work in close proximity of customers wear masks or face coverings and providing face shields and other protective gear to dishwashers.
At downtown Modesto’s Piccadilly Deli, business has been down about 60% at the popular lunch spot. Owner Suzie Wirth has cut her normal staff of seven down to three people. But she is anxious to reopen the dining room, even in a reduced capacity.
“I think it will be easy. The only thing I haven’t got on hand is extra (face shields), but I think I can get those these days. We’ll put out less tables and chairs and I think we’ll be fine,” she said. “I was ready last week so, yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem to open.”
When dining rooms do open, besides reduced seating to allow for social distancing, also expect some of the communal items to be missing. That includes closing self-service utensil areas, soda fountains, salad bar and buffets. Restaurants are encouraged to use single-use condiment and seasonings instead of on-table salt-and-pepper shakers and other bottles, and any in-dining room video or board games and vending machines are discouraged.
Social distancing will cut down capacity
In Modesto’s McHenry Village, Mexicali Grill owner Katina Hall-Perez said she isn’t worried about any of the sanitation or other safety restrictions. But she is concerned about making ends meet if the restaurant has to reopen its dining room in limited capacity.
The restaurant seats about 86 inside, which she said she would have to halve to keep 6 feet between tables. She does not have space to expand outdoor seating, currently five tables, without encroaching on the sidewalk or parking lot.
“If I am not able to fill my restaurant like I have been, how the hell am I going to pay these bills?” she said.
Meanwhile, the owner of House of Beef in Oakdale expects the costs of meeting safety guidelines will be passed onto consumers. If restaurants pay someone to monitor doors, for instance, Steve Medlen said menu prices could rise. Installing an automatic door opener and closer could also cost restaurant owners, he said, especially those who need to adapt older buildings.
Medlen added the restaurant industry will need to adapt to new standards and keep public safety in mind as scientists develop a vaccine and learn more about the virus.
Restaurants have already adapted several times through the coronavirus crisis, from shifting to takeout only to providing curbside pickup. So for owners like Scott Maynard and Robert Wilson, who have run the Divine Swine in Modesto’s Roseburg Square, they’re ready to move forward and don’t see too many hurdles in the guidance protocols.
“Our opening plans are whatever the biggest boss in the state tells us, be it ABC or the county public health. Those are the people we answer to,” Maynard said. “Between my business partner and I, we have 75-80 years (in the restaurant industry) just rolling with whatever we need to do. It is what it is.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
