Too soon to reopen? Columbus business owners weigh pros, cons of Kemp’s new COVID-19 order

When 11th and Bay owner and operator Michael Harrell heard the news that restaurants could reopen their dining rooms as early as the 27th, he was surprised, but eager to reopen as soon as realistically possible.

“If we’re in a position to reopen Monday, we will,” he said. “I know everybody is raring to go again and once again, if we know we’re going to open Monday, we’ll get in touch with our vendors literally tomorrow.”

The reopening is possible because not even 30 days after he issued a shelter-in place order due to the coronavirus pandemic that limited restaurants to takeout-only and closed other venues and businesses, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has ordered that restaurants be allowed to re-open their dining services on Monday, April 27.

Under his order, theaters and private social clubs will also be permitted to open, but bars and nightclubs will remain closed.

The order also allows for the opening of other types of businesses on Friday, April 24, to include gyms and bowling alleys and the businesses of barbers and hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, massage therapists and tattoo artists.

If they choose to reopen, the businesses will not be “reopening business as usual,” and will be subject to social distancing, regular sanitation and other operational guidelines, the governor said.

Those guidelines are outlined in a 20-item list in the governor’s order, and include screening workers for fever and respiratory illness; enhancing workplace sanitation; wearing gloves and masks if appropriate; separating work spaces by at least six feet; teleworking where at all possible; and implementing staggered shifts.

Restaurants eager to comply

Harrell closed his dining rooms on March 18 and began offering curbside and carryout April 2.

He said the community has been very supportive, with regular customers tipping above and beyond. While his vendors have been focused on larger grocery stores and orders have become less predictable, the menu at 11th and Bay has been able to adapt and will likely continue to have to be flexible.

In addition to opening back up, he’s eager to comply with the governor’s order that restaurants follow the appropriate guidelines.

“I was literally on Amazon ordering thermometers,” Harrell said Monday. “I’ve already contacted some of the local testing sites so if I meet somebody at the door outside and if they have a temperature I’ll make sure they get a test, if I have to foot the bill for it I will. I need to make sure that everybody is safe. “

Stephanie Woodham, who is part owner in iconic downtown restaurants The Black Cow, Vertigo Fusion Kitchen and Smoke Bourbon and BBQ, said Monday she would be meeting with her with her team about the process of opening back up.

Smoke Bourbon and BBQ was closed completely due to the coronavirus, but The Black Cow and Vertigo have continued to provide takeout orders.

“We will definitely open our dining areas, I do not have details of exactly how we’re going to do that to stay safe and healthy, and I will probably look for some more direction from our local government as well, Mayor Henderson, and we will go from there,” Woodham said.

There is a lot to figure out before the restaurants can open back up, from trying to gauge the amount of food that should be ordered to how to source masks for employees. Ultimately Woodham said she’s excited as a small business owner to see her businesses start to open back up.

“I understand that not everybody thinks it’s the right thing to do but as a small business owner...it’s very exciting to be able to have the encouragement to know that the economy is going to open back up and I will be able to feed my family,” Woodham said.

Grif Morpeth, owner of Country’s Barbeque, has also fought to remain in business throughout the month of March and April by offering curbside pickup.

He’s not sure yet whether his three restaurants will open on Monday.

“We’re going to have our managers meet on Wednesday and see what we’re doing,” he said. “We want to keep everybody safe. We sure would like to (open), but we don’t want to be the source of more trouble either.”

Some restaurants have already chosen not to reopen on Monday.

Nonic Beer Bar and Kitchen closed March 19 and has not been offering takeout. The restaurant posted on Facebook Tuesday they would not be reopening on April 27 out of concern for the safety of their staff and guests and with respect to healthcare workers.

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation and make decisions as information becomes available,” the post reads.

Nonic’s sister restaurant Jarfly will also keep its dining rooms closed but offer a limited to-go menu.

Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub also posted it would not be reopening its doors in April. Epic Restaurant said it will not be opening its dining room for the foreseeable future but will offer takeout and curbside pickup.

Reopening only a matter of when

In the 24 hours after Kemp’s announcement, other businesses took to Facebook to let their customers know their timelines for reopening. Some were more hesitant than others to announce a decision.

501 Salon in downtown Columbus said they would not be reopening until at least May 1. The Uncommon Athlete posted a poll asking their customers when they would feel comfortable going back to a gym. New Revolution Tattoo Studio wrote that they would have a “soft opening” starting Friday, with one customer per artist at a time.

Apsara Nails Salon and Spa said they are working to reopen, but due to the nature of their work prolonging direct contact between clients and their technicians, they would be delaying in order to find reliable protective gear.

“We were happy to be back in business, but at the same time we worry because it’s only a couple of days until we could open back and we cannot find hand sanitizer, facial masks, that kind of stuff,” owner Sophea Tith said Tuesday. “For that reason we see we’re not ready yet, and to be ready we should be able to find facial masks for our techs and the clientele.”

Pure Salon in north Columbus posted they were excited about the governor’s announcement. Owner Skylar McBride said Tuesday she is ready to open her business back up, albeit slowly.

“We have a few booth renters who had been out of work and who weren’t qualified for unemployment or anything like that, and they were really needing to get work for financial reasons,” McBride said. “We know it’s still a risk and I think it’s going to be a risk for a long time not just the next few months, but we’re hoping that by taking every precaution that we can think of that it will be the right choice to make for our employees.”

Walk-ins will no longer be taken and everything will be by appointment only, McBride said. The salon will leave an empty station between each working stylist, no double-booking will be allowed and clients will be asked to wait in their car until they can be seen.

Stylists will wear masks and gloves at all times and 15 minutes will be reserved between clients so there is time for everything to be sanitized.

“Another one of my employees and I were looking at the governor’s website and just going through in detail all of the precautions to make sure we really hit every one of them that we can,” she said.

On Tuesday, the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers issued guidance for reopening of salons. The safety guidelines are more detailed than what has been released by the governor’s office and describe the sanitation measures salons should take in regards to shampoo bowls, protective capes and smocks, work stations and other equipment necessary to perform the work.

Kay Kendrick, chair of the board, said she was “very happy” that Gov. Kemp had issued the order for salons and spas to reopen, as the board has 95,000 licensees, most of whom are independent contractors with no other source of income.

“Under our sanitation laws and rules, we are charged with the responsibility of protecting consumers from the spread of contagious diseases everyday in our salons,” she said. “By adding the safety guidelines that have been developed by the board and some of our industry leaders in the cosmetology and barber profession, we feel that our professionals will be able to do an even better job of protecting themselves and their clients.”

McBride had some apprehension about the prospect of these circumstances becoming a new normal, but the focus for her right now is getting people back to work safely.

“I think everybody is just looking forward to getting back to work, whether they go in and do one client and go home or are able to see three or four people throughout the day,” she said. “We’ve developed a habit of being home the last few weeks so it will be good to get out and start working again.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 11:39 AM.