Kentucky restaurants can reopen dining rooms in 2 weeks. But many have reservations.
Gov. Andy Beshear’s sudden announcement on Thursday that restaurants can reopen dining rooms with limited capacity had some customers rushing to Open Table to make reservations.
While many restaurants say they are anxious to throw open their doors again, others are still on the fence.
Will they be able to make it with, at best, 33 percent of their customers? How will they keep everyone safe and happy? Will they able to get back staff?
Bluegrass Hospitality Group, which operates Malone’s, Drakes and other dining spots will reopen on May 22, using their Drake’s locations in Tennessee, which is allowing 50 percent capacity, as a template for coming back from coronavirus. Other Lexington dining spots are concerned about finding servers and when they do, they are worried about putting them into difficult situations regarding social distancing.
And then there are those who don’t see the numbers working in their financial favor to reopen, but instead stick with takeout.
On Friday, Beshear said that he thinks “something is better than nothing,” for most restaurants, especially with continued takeout, which is still the safest option. He also said that if compliance is good and if there is no spike in cases, restaurants might be allowed to open up to more customers within weeks.
The state has not released guidelines on how dining service would work or what steps need to be taken by restaurants or by diners.
Ouita Michel restaurant’s reopening slowly
Kentucky chef Ouita Michel said Friday that her restaurants will reopen to dining in stages.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to pop right up on May 22, because I’m still cooking in the kitchen,” she said. She and three other chefs have been preparing weekend takeout orders at Holly Hill Inn, and Michel has been thrilled to see customers lining up to pick up their food.
One other person she’s been excited to see again: Her dishwasher. “We brought him back on this week, and I was so happy to see him,” she said.
Holly Hill will be able to open with one or two tables per room, she said, but will utilize the porch and other outdoor seating options.
Now, she’s planning the return of her other concepts, with Wallace Station and Windy Corner probably first. But both will look much different from the way they did before the coronavirus pandemic forced restaurants to close dining rooms in mid-March.
Michel said the Wallace Station near Midway will have lots of new picnic tables, spaced out under the trees in the yard so there will be plenty of room for social distancing.
“But we won’t be allowing guests inside Wallace Station for some time, because it’s so small, with just a single bathroom,” she said.
At her Windy Corner Market, which is currently shuttered, she also plans to add to add more outdoor seating and will turn the dining room into a Kentucky Proud market, which she will sell locally grown produce and meats. She hopes to have it ready by May 22.
Zim’s Cafe in the old Fayette County courthouse may have to stay counter service for now, she said, while they take out many tables. The Thirsty Fox, a bar also in the courthouse, will convert to a “bodega” with sandwiches and takeout options. Her other restaurants will come back gradually too but she isn’t hurrying.
“We’re definitely going to have to have limited hours everywhere,” she said. “Our protocols have to be there to protect our staff. And we’re going to have to pay them more because can’t have them go back to work with 70 percent less income.”
Drake’s roaring back, others adjust
Brian McCarty, co-owner of the Bluegrass Hospitality Group, which has Malone’s and OBC Kitchen, Drake’s, Aqua Sushi and Harry’s American Bar and Grill, said all of their locations will reopen on May 22.
“Absolutely,” McCarty said. “I was caught off guard. The governor been talking about June, but we have two weeks to prepare, and we’ve been open for a week in Tennessee with four Drake’s and we feel really good about new business model, with heavy carryout and dining rooms open some. We have a lot of carryout business, so whether it’s 33 or 50 percent … based on what seeing in Tennessee, we think we’re going to have our hands full. With takeout, we’re going to be close to what we’re usually doing.”
Gwyn Everly, owner of J. Render’s Southern Table said they “will be opening with bells on” while Seth Brewer, co-owner of Al’s Bar, said they hope to bring back pop-up food service so they can reopen, rather than wait until July when Beshear said bars might be allowed to reopen.
Ranada Riley, owner of Ranada’s Bistro and Bar, said they are having a new floor installed on May 18, so she hoped to be able to reopen inside by May 22 but is also expanding her patio area too.
And she also plans to keep doing takeout.
“I know family meals and curbside to go will continue and hope that will help sustain us,” she said. She said that takeout actually has been drawing in weeknight business. “It took a couple of weeks to get to that right and figure out what people were responding to do. That’s been family meals and doing delivery ourselves. They really want that.”
She said that she’s concerned about finding servers, many of whom will make more on unemployment than they would on limited tables.
“Our 105 seats just became 30,” she said. “How do we navigate this?”
Sara Wood, co-owner of Girlsgirlsgirls Burritos, said they are excited about reopening but worried employees will be put in difficult situations regarding social distancing. Like many restaurants, she plans to put in place a system to reserve indoor seating.
“It’s a lot to think about. Our job is to think about providing great service, with lots of deliciousness, and smiles and celebration … and now this is a lot of health and it can get political,” she said. “We’re very eager but we don’t want anyone at risk.”
But Randy Kaplan at The Parkette Drive-In said that he is removing tables and adding sanitation stations for his dine-In garage area.
“We will have to sanitize the tables after every customer,” he said. And employees are already all wearing gloves and masks.
What might be new is ordering. “The servers can’t come right up on you, and that’s going to be different,” changing the personal interaction when they greet you, he said. ”That’s going to be odd and uncomfortable”
Sticking with takeout
“Bourbon n’ Toulouse will not be allowing customers to dine in the restaurant anytime soon,” said co-owner Kevin Heathcoat. With the additional staff they’ve hired to operate curbside takeout, he said the 33 percent occupancy restriction would mean “we would only be allowed to have five to eight customers inside the building at a time. At this point in time that is not a feasible model for us to run on.”
They will stick with takeout for now, he said, and are looking for ways to expand outdoor seating on Euclid Avenue.
Stacy Roof, president and CEO of the Kentucky Restaurant Association said national estimates are that at least 10 percent won’t be able to make it back out of the shutdown.
That means 800 Kentucky restaurants will close for good.
“It’s a game about volume … it’s all about turning the tables, and it’s not possible to turn them six or eight times in a night to get the volume they need,” she said.
She’s heard from several who don’t plan to open dining rooms yet.
“If they don’t have a patio, or are a smaller restaurant they can’t make it work to open their doors,” she said. “Some will continue what doing until percentage goes up, and they can open with the proper protocol.”
Many are trying to hang on for fall.
“With horse racing and the Derby and all the things would have had in spring, they’re trying to hang on through holidays, which is usually their best period,” she said. “But first quarter ... could be scary.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 6:19 PM.
