The state of Colorado is slowly reopening businesses, but restaurants are looking at mid-May before they can let customers in again. But that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t watching things closely.
Greg Howard, president of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA), has been meeting with Gov. Jared Polis about guidelines for reopening the area’s restaurants.
“We are happy that his office has been working with the CRA and we are waiting for word for when we will actually be given the go-ahead for opening (dining-in),” Howard said.
As of last Thursday, according to the CRA, Polis is targeting May 15 as the possible date for the return to dine-in.
What can we as customers expect to see once sit-down service resumes?
“We’ll be taking baby steps,” Howard said. “Maybe 50% occupancy. Seating in every other bar stool. Paper menus for a while. Social distancing is working, and we need to continue doing our part.”
On a recent morning TV show, “Restaurant: Impossible” host and chef Robert Irvine said that restaurant owners will need to take new variables into account once they are able to fully reopen for business amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“A restaurant, like any other business, has a break-even point, and that’s a huge thing when we go back into business,” he said. “People need to come back to work, but it has to be done safely.”
Irvine said he expects social distancing restrictions to remain in effect for some time after the infection curve reaches a level that allows eateries to serve dine-in customers.
“You know, we are not going back to full 300-seat restaurants,” he said, adding that restaurants will need to adjust cleaning habits, seating plans and even menu sizes.
