Restaurants around the state opened their doors to inside dining for the first time in months on May 22, but not every restaurant was setting the tables.
As coronavirus restrictions begin to ease up and allow for more traditional business, some entrepreneurs are choosing to delay their reopening.
On Memorial Day weekend, some in Franklin decided it wasn’t time to welcome customers inside again for a variety of reasons. At Frogtown Market, for example, owner Donnie Bishop said the restaurant is well equipped to handle curbside service and delivery, but introducing diners again will complicate things and create more work for his employees. That would be fine with all restrictions lifted, but since he can’t have more than 50 percent capacity in the restaurant at once, fully reopening would actually be worse for them financially right now.
“At Frogtown, we have geared our operations to curbside service and lunch business delivery, but these changes have been labor intensive and more stressful for the staff,” Bishop said. “We can’t support the restaurant at 50 percent dining capacity, and doing so with curbside service would be difficult.”
Other restaurants are still coping with the legal gray areas associated with their status in the ongoing reopening plans. Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub surprised some patrons with its decision to keep suspending all services after restaurants were allowed to open, but because bars weren’t included, owners Adam Kimsey and Natasha Sebring decided to play it safe. Rules for bars have since been changed to be more permissive, but the two still think it’s safest to wait until all rules are rolled back.
“We have had many discussions and deliberations as a business and have come to a consensus that our goals are to protect the health and safety of our patrons and friends, to protect the experience and environment which we strive to provide within our walls, as well as protecting the long-term viability and success of our business so it is there for all of us in the future,” according to a social media post from the Rathskeller.
Altered Frequencies isn’t a restaurant, but it will be by the time that it reopens. While the bar and music venue’s call to begin serving food wasn’t a direct response to orders that made it easier for restaurants to do business, it was a longstanding idea for management that was spurred by the sudden break from normal business that came with the pandemic.
Co-owner Melissa Spencer said they weren’t expecting to return as early as May, and the restaurant needs to be mostly complete before business can return to normal.
“We won’t open as soon as it’s legal … because we’ve started work that must be completed before we reopen,” Spencer said. “The restaurant will be open shortly after we open the bar and venue.”
According to Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, businesses shouldn’t feel pressured to reopen any faster than they are comfortable with. Early returns haven’t shown a huge uptick in interstate travel, but Macon County is currently witnessing a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases. A slow and steady approach may be the best thing for Franklin businesses in the long run, she said.
“We haven’t noticed a huge increase in visitors,” Harbuck said. “Based on what we saw last week, now that we’ve got 90 cases here, I’d say that they probably made a good decision if they didn’t open up right away. We don’t want to put people at any unnecessary risk and see those numbers increase.”